CD Review: Yoron Israel - Visions: The Music of Stevie Wonder

Yoron Israel (dms); Lance Bryant (ten/sop); Laszlo Gardony (pno); Henry Lugo (bs); Larry Roland (spoken word); Thaddeus Haggarth (gtr/hca)

(Review by Lance.)

When a disc such as this one lands in my mailbox 'midst all the  contemporary offerings it's like getting a tax rebate.

Not that this is by any means old hat - unless strong melodic content and rich harmonies are now considered passé...

Israel leads from the kit but doesn't superimpose his presence. Lance Bryant reminds me at times of Hank Mobley and is one of the most musical jazz players around. A Berklee contemporary of Branford Marsalis, Greg Osby and Wallace Roney he also studied privately with Frank Foster and was musical director of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra for a number of years. His playing is inspirational - perhaps a by-product of his spiritual beliefs.

Gardony, his own solo album Clarity was reviewed here earlier this month, displays many of the features that caused Steve H to give it the thumbs up. Larry Roland reads a poem over Bryant's soloing on Visions, Lugo is on the money, Haggarth adds harmonica to Passionate Raindrops and, of course, there are the compositions - how can you go wrong with Stevie Wonder tunes?

Lance.