Search - Bob Lark :: First Steps

Bob Lark, First Steps -- From the opening passage of this disc, you can hear what makes Bob Lark a special trumpet player and a special band leader. On Ravenswood, one of five Lark compositions, the groove is tight, the arrangement sweet, and the band holding together seamlessly. Lark even gives the first solo to one of his mates, trombonist Paul McKee, who turns in a gem. That feeling of camaraderie and interplay carries throughout the discs eight tunes. In addition to Larks compositions, he treats listeners to a moody version of Alone Together, a gently swinging There Is No Greater Love, and a wonderfully realized take on Thelonious Monks Evidence. This is the debut of not just a fine trumpet player with gorgeous tone and inventive solos but also of a terrific writer, arranger and leader. Lark, the director of Jazz Studies at DePaul University in Chicago, shows utter mastery and a sweet sense of swing. Students of jazz and other assorted fans should check out First Steps; it offers a very cool lesson. Featuring: Larry Novak, Paul McKee, Bob Mintzer, Tim Davis, Sharay Reed, Mark Colby.