Frederick Harris

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Richard Howell: Moon Over Tiburon

by Jack Bowers
February 19, 2021

After easing past the words of praise for San Francisco Bay-area based saxophonist / educator Richard Howell's “spiritual connection" and the description of his work as “bridge music," uniting and merging the experiences of listeners, it sounds much like probative contemporary small-group jazz. Besides playing saxophone (and singing, on the soulful anthem “We Are All Connected"), Howell composed (and presumably arranged) every number on Moon Over Tiburon, a cerebral exercise that is heavy on group interplay and strong, close-knit rhythm, ...