Bob Mintzer, Kirk Whalum and Ada Rovatti are just a few of today's stunning tenor sax players. Wayne Escoffery can be added to their company.
Escoffery, 34, is a native of London who moved to the United States with his mother at an early age. He enjoyed singing, and was a member of the New Haven Trinity Boys Choir in Connecticut. He eventually turned to the saxophone, and has performed with a diverse array of bandleaders and ensembles, including Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet, Rufus Reid, Jimmy Cobb and the Carolyn Leonhart Group. On Uptown, he is accompanied by Avi Rothbard on guitar, Gary Versace on organ and Jason Brown on drums.
"No Desert," one of three songs written by Rothbard, jumps out of the gate with Versace's organ setting the pace. Brown scores some nice snare rolls between lines. Escoffery rips it up on the tenor, at times bellowing out phrases from the instrument's lower register. Rothbard and Versace join in adding their respective voices in their own solos.
"Cross Bronx" is another high-energy Rothbard piece. After Escoffery's lead at the start of the song, the guitarist takes point. Brown and Versace step up in the action, but remain in the background. Escoffery's middle solo involves a bouncy series of rolling phrases, while Versace attracts attention as well in his solo maneuver. - Woodrow Wilkins
Tracks
1. No Desert (Avi Rothbard)
2. I Got It Bad (Duke Ellington)
3. Cross Bronx (Avi Rothbard)
4. You Know I Care (Duke Pearson)
5. Road From Eilat (Gary Varsece/Wayne Escoffery)
6. Gulf Of Aqaba (Wayne Escoffery)
7. Nu Soul (Wayne Escoffery)
8. Maya's Waltz (Avi Rothbard)
9. Easy Now (Wayne Escoffery)
JASON BROWN drums
AVI ROTHBARD guitar
GARY VARSACE organ
WAYNE ESCOFFERYsaxophone
Recorded October 20, 2008 at Kampo Studios
Posi-Tone Records Posi-Tone - PR8056