Vintage bopping sounds are served up by the team of Darrian Douglas/dr, Andrew McGowan/p, Jasen Weaver/b and Steve Lands/tp on this collection of team composed originals that sound like they came from the secret desk drawer of Horace Silver. Lands’ horn is clean on the snappy “Monk Dancing On The Levee” and Kenny Dorham-stately on the warm waltz of “Price of A Dream.” Some interesting synth sounds are produced by Weaver on the soulful “Kolmas Linja” while the team struts with style on “This Blues.” Douglas’s sticks snap to “Five Fingers of Death” and Weaver’s bass lays down a thick line on the hip hopping “Kelly Ann Conartist.” Politics aside, these guys appeal to the red and blue state of listening pleasure.
Inspired by Ron Carter, bassist Fabrizio Sciacca leads a quartet of Donald Vega/p, Billy Drummond/dr and tenor saxist Jed Levy for some sophisticated modern post bop. The trio is quite kinetic for Levy’s thick and flexible sax on Elmo Hope’s “One Second Please” while the team bounces on Sonny Clark’s upbeat “Zellmar’s Delight.” In a trio setting, Sciacca shows his clean digit work as he tells nice musical stories for the spacious “A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square” and he digs in deep along with Drummond’s brushes as the team builds up on Sam Jones’ “One For Amos.” Vega, who’s played with Carter lately, is lovely and languid as he flows on the blue “Lullaby In Central Park” and gives accents to Sciacca’s tap dance to Drummond’s high hat on the tribute “For Sir Ron.” Classy.