Search - Ari Ambrose :: Jazmin

Some people are just oh so hip

B.A.H. | Oslo, Norway | 04/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ari Ambrose is a no-nonsense tenor saxist with a sound straight out of the old school - think Don Byas, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Paul Gonsalves, Lucky Thompson - but with the rhythmic, intervallic and harmonic hipness and technical command of any and all of today's leading figures.



This recording, done in March 2001, features Ambrose as a leader of a pianoless quartet (Michael Leonhart - trumpet, Joe Martin - bass, Rick Montalbano - drums) romping through a very varied repertoire of originals and standards. Great stuff.



Great fun, too. There is quite a lot of humour here, or at least it makes this listener smile. Good overall sound, nice band.



Mr. Ambrose has a slightly uneven output, but on this album everything has come together very very very nice indeed. Perhaps the dudes could have dressed up a bit for the cover shot, but heck, that's SteepleChase's problem, not mine.



A hot tip for any jazz lover. This is intelligent, swingin' and simply good music.



Track listing:

1. Jazmin (Ambrose)

2. When Your Lover Has Gone (Swan)

3. Ila (Ambrose)

4. Along Came Betty (Golson)

5. Dollar Shot (Leonhart)

6. Baubles, Bangles And Beads (Forrest/Wright)

7. Who Knows (Monk)"