Dave Anderson: Plays with Gusto

Gusto! Vigorous and enthusiastic. Implies doing something with great spirit and energy. From the Spanish, gusto indicates taste, pleasure or liking, and that, friends, wraps and puts a bow around what you hear from New York-based soprano and tenor saxophonist Dave Anderson on his uplifting In Lieu of Flowers album (Label1, 2025).

Anderson needed no warmup for the record, launching immediately into "Outer Circle," displaying the tight harmonic camaraderie between the leader and the rest of the quartet. The results often come fast and furiously in a barrage over Jimmy Macbride's drums, Grant Richards ' piano and Lorin Cohen on acoustic and electric bass. The band cooks like a pot of Creole gumbo. More than a few of the numbers could prompt dead pirates to dance.

Increasingly Anderson has focused on composing original music for his conceptually themed recording projects such as Melting Pot (Label1, 2018), Blue Innuendo (Label1, 2016) and forging ahead with In Lieu of Flowers. In the latter, Anderson explores a rich new conceptual theme—the ways people honor those who shape our lives—with a riveting set of original compositions while returning primarily to the malleable acoustic jazz quartet format.

He has developed a highly personal compositional/instrumental sound—one that is harmonically complex, melodically compelling and rhythmically exciting, yet accessible and appealing to lay listeners. "One for Wayne" (Wayne Shorter, who else?) features vigorous playing from Anderson and the others, yet carries more of a contemporary jazz vibe. The aggressive stance is impressive, as the sidemen combine for the intro to "Thilmany," a reverential piece that showcases his laudable tone, respectful of his ancestors.

Anderson has performed as a saxophonist around North America with notable musicians including Matt Wilson, Pat Bianchi, Chico Pinheiro, Nicholas Payton and Mel Torme, playing New York City venues including Birdland and Zinc Bar. Although he plays in a modern style, Anderson has received accolades from jazz legends such as Ray Brown and Rufus Reid.

You can hear the footsteps of his musical forebears on "Upwind," where he unleashes a line in ascending and descending arpeggios, with the results sounding like a modern take on hard bop with the bass-drum tandem stoking the fire in the engine room. Throughout the record, he is able to create enough melodic, harmonic and rhythmic material to hold a listener's attention for long stretches. Anderson pulls off originals without ever letting the momentum and surprises flag, his gifts fast, agile and potent, reminding in some ways of Charles Lloyd's searching style as he goes through the changes like an airplane cruising past rows of reflectors on a landing strip.

"Lost City" is painted in a stately, classic ballad style with an engrossing solo from Cohen that connects to free-flowing, imploring lines from Anderson, playing as if possessed by the search for the city. The winsome "Arms of Maria" builds to intensity before receding into calmer waters as the quartet exits. The leader drives his combo to a definitive finale on "Sandy's Ladies," which would fit like a pimp suit on the soundtrack to the HBO TV series The Deuce until learning it was a tribute to Anderson's guitar teacher and his girls. Anderson collects a couple of hundred notes like loose change found under the sofa and knocks it back.

Here is Dave Anderson's perspective on what to look for inside the songs of In Lieu of Flowers.

Outer Circle

Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge" was about his feelings of striving to adapt and establish himself in New York. I've used Joe's chord progression to write a new tune about being in my "happy place" writing and playing music. I removed some beats from Joe's structure for the melody and drum solo—the quartet came up with a hip way of framing Jimmy Macbride's solo so the structure can still be heard.

One for Wayne

I sketched out the chords for this tune before Wayne Shorter passed away, knowing this was going to be a tribute to Wayne because it alludes to harmonic devices of his. One cool thing about Shorter is you could hear in interviews how his speech sounded similar to his improvisation. We can all aspire to express ourselves so fully.

Thilmany

I knew a family friend growing up who seemed to be troubled, and tragically, ended up dying as a young adult. I wondered what it was like for his family and wrote this song thinking of them all. The quartet navigates the contrasts: sweetness & turbulence.

Sanctuary

When my mother passed away, I created a small haven in my apartment to process the loss and separate grieving from everyday life. One day I went straight from my makeshift "sanctuary" to the piano and wrote this song. Grant Richards plays this with me as a duo with great sensitivity.

Upwind

Sometimes in life, things come at you, and you have no choice but to go straight at them. In sailing they call this "tacking." This song is called "Upwind." A lot of good things can happen when you're willing to head upwind.

Lost City

I had the rare chance on a tour to Leningrad (now St Petersburg) at the end of the Soviet era to witness how totalitarianism had left its buildings and people in shambles. I wrote this tune around that time, and love how the band brings it to life.

Arms of Maria

I wanted to write something that captured some of the grace of Maria Schneider—both her conducting with ballerina-like grace, and her personal grace. Maria actually went to the University of Minnesota before I studied there.

Stell

James Stellmaker was a monumental educator at a Duluth, Minnesota high school who elevated the musicianship of the entire community through his influence. He was a person of great personal integrity, which is part of the inspiration for this tune based on "Stella by Starlight."

Ghost Bikes

I was a block away in my Brooklyn apartment one morning when a young cyclist lost his life. Today there is a white-painted bike memorial at this corner memorializing James Gregg. A melody spelling his name is played by Grant Richards on piano and Lorin Cohen in the beginning, then Jimmy Macbride kicks us into a triplety dirge. This song is a tribute to James, and to this poignant way of paying tribute to fallen cyclists.

Sandy's Ladies

During the pandemic, my colleague, friend and guitar teacher Sandy Carter joyfully spent days looking after his darling granddaughters. I wrote this tune for Sandy and his "ladies" on the guitar. The band has experience in NYC's Latin jazz scene, and takes the song to a jubilant place.

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