Search - Holly Hofmann :: Further Adventures...

Small instrument, big jazz satisfaction

James A. Vedda | Alexandria, VA USA | 03/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's amazing what sounds you can get out of a small metal tube with a few holes in it. Or at least, it's amazing what great sounds Holly Hofmann can produce with her flute. This is Holly's second album, recorded in 1989 and released the following year. (There have been many more in the years since then.) These 11 tracks, totaling 56 minutes, offer an excellent assortment of swing, blues, jazz waltzes, and more, all superbly executed. Every track is a keeper.

This is possibly the most energetic of Holly's albums, with plenty of up-tempo tracks and lively solos from everyone in the quartet. You might think that the flute is too delicate an instrument to hold its own in such an environment, but Holly does more than that - she dominates. Check out her fast-moving licks on "Further Adventures," "True Blues," "Tempus Fugit," and "Without a Song."

Holly slows down the frenetic pace with the very cool, medium-tempo "Upside Down," Johnny Mandel's beautiful classic "A Time for Love," and the album's closer "Gillian's Waltz," written by the group's bassist Bob Magnusson. Also, she cleverly reinterprets Neil Hefti's "Cute" by playing the fills between the phrases of the lead line, in contrast to the classic Count Basie version which assigned this duty to the drummer. In another demonstration of versatility, Duke Ellington's "Mount Harissa" alternates between an eastern Mediterranean beat and straight ahead blues.

This is a great set from a tight group that includes nice work on piano from Holly's long-time collaborator Mike Wofford. A must for jazz flute fans, and an excellent choice for those who just want a sample of what jazz flute is supposed to sound like."