Rarely does both a band name and album title tell you all that you need to know about a record without even playing it, but that is exactly what we have here. The band is a saxophone quartet, as can be guessed from the album cover if their name hadn’t given it away, comprising Diron Holloway on soprano, clarinet and alto saxophone; James Lockhart is on alto saxophone; Jason Hainsworth is on tenor saxophone; and Melton R. Mustafa plays baritone sax. I asked my wife to come in and listen to “My Favorite Things” and hit the nail on the head when she said to me that it made her think of jazz from the Thirties. That is exactly what it sounds like, imbued with a huge sense of fun, and the feeling that these guys are having a blast. At least I hope they are, as I know that anyone listening to it does so with a great smile on their face.
I just can’t find anything to fault with this album, they are all wonderful musicians who obviously work well together, the arrangements are faultless, and they have selected an incredibly diverse range of material. We go from Dizzy Gillespie to Gershwin, Bernstein to Scott Joplin, and end with an interesting arrangement of “Amazing Grace”. That song must be in vogue at present as that’s the second time I’ve heard it recently being performed in a jazz fashion. Here it is treated with respect, with the baritone providing wonderful control, and the guys filling this with emotion.
I highly recommend this album to anyone who enjoys old style classic jazz, and has ever been curious to know how great music can sound when in the hands, hearts and minds of four great saxophonists.
