The Schwager/Oliver Quintet: Senza Resa

Even though Canada's admirable Schwager/Oliver Quintet carefully dots every "I" and crosses every "T" on Senza Resa, something else seems to be missing, and that something could be a clear sense of purpose. This is an album on which everyone plays well, the songs are by and large respectable, and yet the whole somehow adds up to less than the sum of its parts.

That defect could be ascribed in part to the choice of material, nine original compositions (one of which is repeated) that are pleasant enough when uncoupled but leave the overall impression of a group of first-rate musicians who decided for reasons of their own and with no special purpose in mind to come together in a studio and record an album. That is not to say there is not a lot to like here; how could it be otherwise with musicians as savvy and talented as guitarist Reg Schwager and woodwind specialist Ryan Oliver presiding over a rhythm section comprised of keyboardist Nick Peck, bassist Rene Worst and drummer Ernesto Cervini.

Among the songs, Cervini's groovy, bop-flavored "Squagels" (on which Schwager offers one of his best solos) is perhaps the pick of the litter, with Peck's sunny "4JT" and Oliver's "Blues for Josie Rose" vying for runner-up honors. "Josie Rose" was recorded twice, in the studio and (two days before) for a live audience. Oliver (on tenor sax) is especially impressive on "Squagels," as is Peck on acoustic piano. Oliver plays flute on "Another Happening" and the ballad "Tender Love," soprano sax on "The Cat from Katmandu," tenor the rest of the way, while Peck plays organ on "Happening" and "Katmandu," electric piano on "Black Horse" and Schwager's attractive "Rushbrooke."

While Worst and Cervini don't solo often, they make the most of their few chances, with Cervini notably effective (with brushes and sticks) on "Squagels" and "Josie Rose." Meanwhile, Schwager and Oliver do their thing, which means soloing with alacrity and perception. As touched on earlier, there is a lot to admire and appreciate on Senza Resa—an Italian phrase that translates as "no surrender"—even though the finished product may seem to some ears a step or so removed from special.