You better have something to say if you’re a saxophonist and you intend to present yourself as a solo voice with just the backing of bass and drums. In the history of the music very few have carried this off successfully, one exception being Sonny Rollins. In recent times, Joe Lovano and Branford Marsalis have given it a try and Rich Perry made the trio scene in 1994 with his SteepleChase set Beautiful Love. Taking another stab at this modest grouping, Doxy pits this tenor man with master bassist George Mraz and drummer extraordinaire Billy Hart.

If you’re not familiar with Rich Perry, then you’ve been missing out on a real talent who has spent the past decade working incognito with pianist Harold Danko’s quartet and recording for SteepleChase. The set of standards chosen for inclusion here are nothing out of the ordinary, yet they really only function as a starting point for the trio’s musical explorations anyway. Perry embraces the horn with a rich and full-bodied approach that keeps things engaging over the course of this hour set. He’s got some serious chops but chooses to go for the heart. Maybe that’s why he continues to be a shining star of the SteepleChase roster and Doxy gets the stamp of excellence without any reservations.