Patrick Cornelius
Fierce
Whirlwind Records
www.patrickcornelius.com
By George W. Harris

NYC based alto saxist Patrick Cornelius puts out his second release of post-bop material, with a stellar band of Michael Janisch/b, Johnathan Blake/dr and guests Nick Vayenas/tb and Mark Small/ts. The material, all originals is quite flexible, mixing music a bit to the left, yet never leaving one in a cloud. His chops on the title track is quite formidable, while tunes like “Home With You” and “First Dance” show his taste and dexterity. The trio tunes never feel directionless, and mix moods from celebratory to assertive. The interplay between the three is exciting, and always keeps you on your toes. Would like this guy to play on the Best Coast some time!