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Ian Hendrickson-Smith: The Lowdown
ByWhen it comes to front-line partners, Hendrickson-Smith couldn't have fared much better. Weeds' tenor is weighty and strong, a perfect complement to Hendrickson-Smith's bright and bluesy alto. And when it comes to improvisation, neither one is ever at a loss for a resourceful and engaging turn of phrase. Rounding out the impressive quintet are Wisconsin-bred, New York-based pianist Rick Germanson alongside bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth, a pair of rhythmic dynamos who are so busy on the New York scene and have enhanced so many recordings that their names should be well known to attentive jazz fans.
Hendrickson-Smith wrote the album's title song and opening number and, if it seems mournful and blues-drenched, that is by design. Leathers' death, Hendrickson-Smith writes, "leaves a terrible void in all of us who were lucky enough to know him." The cheerless melody and Germanson's deft filigrees lead to ardent solos by Hendrickson-Smith and Weeds as Webber and Farnsworth lay the sturdy groundwork, as they do on every selection. The session, as it turns out, is divided almost evenly in halves, with two more compositions by Hendrickson-Smith, the mid-tempo charmer "Savin' Up" and impetuous "10:30," preceding a trio of melodious standards, "Nancy (With the Laughing Face"), "I Should Care" and "Don't Explain."
Hendrickson-Smith and Weeds are on their game from fore to aft and stem to starboard, as is their compliant rhythm section. Would that there were more of this enticing music to relish, as the session clocks in at a modest forty-three minutes. That is, however, the sole drawback in an otherwise splendid, congenial and well-recorded album whose performance is exemplary.
Track Listing
Side One: The Lowdown; Savin' Up; 10:30 Side Two: Nancy ( With The Laughing Face); I Should Care; Don't Explain.
Personnel
Ian Hendrickson-Smith
saxophone, altoCory Weeds
saxophone, altoRick Germanson
pianoJohn Webber
bass, acousticJoe Farnsworth
drumsAlbum information
Title: The Lowdown | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Cellar Live
Comments
About Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
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