Paul Kendall: Unspoken Words

Paul Kendall, about whom we know and are told nothing, is an outstanding tenor player from the Stanley Turrentine/Houston Person academy of unvarnished swing, and his commanding presence enlivens this congenial mainstream trio (more accurately, trios) date recorded in ’97. Kendall has a clear and pleasing tone, an abundance of persuasive ideas, and chops that are apparently equal to any task. He fronts two trios, one of which includes veterans Forrester and Petschauer, the other relative newcomers Oswanski (late of Maynard Ferguson’s Big Bop Nouveau) and Petrocini. Their mission is primarily one of support, an assignment they undertake with enthusiasm and carry out with unassuming elegance. Kendall is the conclusive headliner, and his unerring insight is reflected in the choice of material, which encompasses five well–known standards, all of which lend themselves readily to Jazz improvisation, Miles Davis’s “Solar,” Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Triste” and Kendall’s own composition, “DB Blues.” Kendall gives each of them a marvelous ride, using the full range of the tenor (but without boorish shrieks or growls) to underscore his always convincing interpretations. An admirable session in the grand tradition of Jazz organ trios.

Track listing: Tenderly; Love for Sale; Autumn in New York; Solar; Triste; DB Blues; The Nearness of You; You Don’t Know What Love Is (59:14).