Doug Webb: The Message

The trappings of The Message, tenor saxophonist Doug Webb's eleventh release for Posi-Tone Records, are perhaps recognizable to anyone with an interest in jazz conventions. All hands, except for drummer Charles Ruggiero, contribute at least one composition. While some are more adventurous (tenor saxophonist Bob Reynolds' "Where Did You Come From?," and alto saxophonist Greg Osby's "Nekide") than others (Webb's "Caught In The Webb" and organist Brian Charette's "Bonnie Lass"), there is nothing here that pushes the envelope or prompts a search for new categories. By the same token, none of the originals possess the stale, exceedingly derivative traits often found in material indebted to classic jazz from the mid-to-late 20th century.

Randy Aldcroft, who contributed arrangements and one piece of music to Webb's stellar 2015 release, Triple Play, offers three tunes, "Doug's Dilemma," "Keeping Up With The Joneses," and "New Beginning," that are a few notches above standard-fare. The same can be said of "The Message" by Steve Huffsteter, another longtime associate of Webb. A not-often-revisited Gershwin tune, "I Was Doing Alright," and another one from the Great American Songbook, Forrest's and Wright's "Baubles, Bangles & Beads," round out the selections.

The quintet's performances provide ample stimulation and food for thought. Ruggiero and Charette (who has anchored many recordings for Posi-Tone) keep the three-saxophone front line moving along with finesse and flair. Charette's contributions to the ensemble range from bold, electrifying chords during Webb's "Caught In The Webb" solo, to a brief introduction to "I Was Doing Alright" that sets up the track to perfection. Temporarily released from timekeeping responsibilities and snare drum comping, Ruggiero offers a series of adroit, eight bar breaks toward the end of Reynolds's "Frustration."

The styles of Webb, Reynolds and Osby are what makes The Message stand apart from the glut of recordings in the same vein. Webb's tone ranges from broad and sturdy ("Caught In The Webb," "Bonnie Lass") to pure and unblemished ("Doug's Dilemma"). He has a way of taking charge without dominating or towering over the band. Striking an equilibrium between spontaneity and a sense of order, Webb often opens with unhurried, measured phrases and gradually shifts to utterances which contain greater velocity and weight. From start to finish, his hearty turn on "Caught In the Webb" is one of the most rewarding performances in recent memory.

A large part of Reynolds' appeal derives from his ability to move a solo along without any apparent fuss or strain. He is a thoughtful, melodically minded bop-oriented stylist who, early on in "Caught In The Webb," the record's opening track, declares his stylistic allegiance by quoting a snippet from Charlie Parker's and Dizzy Gillespie's "Anthropology." In general, phrases come out of his horn in balanced, pleasing ways. Here and there he lingers on a single note to good effect. When Reynolds wants to turn up the heat, he tends to reach for the upper regions of the instrument without overdoing it. His tone is, for the most part, lighter than Webb's, all the better to hear an affinity for the efforts of Charette and Ruggiero.

Osby is the most volatile of the saxophone triumvirate. He tends to cram a lot of information into tight spaces. Osby is, by turns, thoughtful, inquiring, and cranky; he runs in place, scrambles, and then swings in a conventional fashion; he gives the impression of going off the rails and deftly returns to the fold. During "Where Did You Come From?" and "Caught In The Webb," as well as other tracks, he often feels self-contained and suggests a straining against the constraints of the material and the steady underpinning of the organ and drums.

We live in a time when creative musicians of all stripes are taking jazz in new directions; the music is in a continuous state of flux, and open-minded listeners are challenged and stimulated at every turn by novel approaches and unique sounds. Nonetheless, in the hands of masters like Doug Webb and his cohort, the use of recognizable, tried-and-true formats and techniques in the service of forging accessible, individualistic art, yields surprising, out-of-the-ordinary, and enjoyable results. The Message is a worthy addition to a fine discography.

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