CD Review: Will Vinson - four forty one

(By Lance).

I should have flagged this excellent album from Whirlwind up earlier - all the jazz mags have rated it highly, and justifiably so. My excuse is that I had a problem working out who played what with whom? (sounds like a risque joke!)

In actual fact it's Vinson blowing some superb, occasionally probing, always in today's groove, alto sax with a variety of pianists, bassists and drummers - we'll get to them later.

Vinson, who moved to New York from London in 1999 is one of those players who delivers, and here he does it sublimely, displaying an instant affinity with his assorted sidemen although, in this set up, to call them (the pianists in particular) sidemen is perhaps doing the players less than justice. The pairings work well and each musician brings as much to the pot as the leader  and that, I assure you, is praise indeed.

When I listen to Vinson there is one name that springs to my mind - Phil Woods. I don't mean that he sounds like Woods or even uses his licks but there is an overall feel that the spirit of the late great alto saxophonist was maybe hovering, high above, in the studio.

I'm tempted to call Vinson an original - if anyone is an original any more. So much jazz education is being rolled out across the world (mainly to the privileged few) that the ability to play to a high level is almost taken for granted provided your folks have got the dosh and young Tristan/Isolde have got the ears. Having said that, Will sounds to me like he maybe skipped a few classes to listen to the guys who were doing it in the pubs and the clubs - ground level education.

Whatever, this is alto playing that covers the music from Bird to Ornette without alerting the fire brigade and the RSPCA.

The pianists are equally outstanding - Hersch, Hamasyan, Clayton, Fortner, Rubalcaba - Vinson didn't book any deadwood.

Highly recommended - try/buy.

Lance

Will Vinson (alto sax) + Sullivan Fortner, Tigran Hamasyan, Gerald Clayton, Fred Hersch or Gonzalo Rubalcaba (piano); Matt Brewer, Matt Penman, Rick Rosato or Larry Grenadier (bass); Obed Calvaire, Billy Hart, Eric Harland, Clarence Penn or Jochen Rueckert (drums).