Dejan Terzic Quartet: Four For One

On the opener and Terzic original, "Childish Things" Terzic commences with some cool drum licks as he displays good textbook style discipline and a keen sense of swing. Terzic's composition titled, "Big Argument" is post bop modernism at its finest. George Garzone blows the walls down with blazing tenor work as Terzic and bassist Dietmar Fuhr keep this train a rolling'.

Terzic is a well-schooled technician and has obviously paid much attention to the masters of years gone by. His drumming is characteristically crisp, multi-textured and dynamic while seldom overstating his cause or plight. Another Terzic original composition "Loose Ends" features Garzone's lyrical and melodic phrasing on soprano sax as the end results prove to be straightforward and succinct. Here, pianist Roberto Di Gioia provides tonal color and understated accents via a light touch and warm sonorous chord progressions as the potent rhythm section shift tempos. The mood thus far could be categorized as being positive and exuberant. On "Night's Shadow" The Quartet rekindles memories of Coltrane's early-mid 60's Quartet as Garzone renders a gutsy, soul searching and borderline free-jazz tenor solo. Terzic may have had Elvin Jones in mind on this up-tempo piece. The title track, "Four For One" commences with a relatively complex introduction as the band performs several bars in unison. Again, Garzone leads the attack with soaring, fluent and highly emotional tenor work. Pleasant renditions of Rodgers & Hart's "My Romance" and Washington & Kaper's "Green Dolphin Street" mesh well in the overall mix.

Four For One is a no frills, extremely focused and to-the-point affair. Again, the talent scouts over at Naxos Jazz should be commended. Recommended * * * 1/2