David Larsen: Cohesion

For Cohesion, baritone saxophonist David Larsen's tenth album as leader of his own ensemble, he chose as his teammates a quartet of East Coast musicians who so impressed him during a tour of the Northwest that he invited them back to his Seattle, Washington home base to take part in a workshop, play some gigs and ultimately record Cohesion with him.

As it turns out, it was a splendid decision, as Larsen and the others, even though relative strangers in musical terms, work quite well together in a mostly pleasing program that encompasses half a dozen of Larsen's original compositions and a pair by one of his guests, tenor saxophonist Darryl Yokley. Although he was born in California, Yokley calls the East Coast home, as do pianist Zaccai Curtis, bassist Alex Apollo and drummer Wayne Smith Jr.

The session opens on a moderate note with Larsen's title composition, on which Apollo and Curtis solo first, followed by Yokley's nimble tenor saxophone and the leader's Mulliganesque baritone sax. The pace quickens on the lively "Down to It," wherein Larsen and Yokley prove they can handle any tempo with ease, while Curtis and Apollo offer impressive solos of their own. "Movement" is a rhythmic charmer, "Wishing Well" an Afro-Cuban delight, "Fedchock" a hard bop groover inspired by the Jazz Messengers (and named for a fairly well-known trombonist and composer).

Larsen's even-tempered "Working Things Out" leads to Yokley's compositions, the bustling "Mount Fuji" and forceful "El Duelo," which close the session on a buoyant note. Larsen's newly minted quartet is remarkably tight and responsive, the soloists sharp and creative, all of which makes Cohesion a pleasure to hear and appreciate.