Tenor Talk

Jerry Bergonzi focuses primarily on his potent originals during this quartet session issued in 2008. Joined by pianist Renato Chicco, bassist Dave Santoro, and drummer Andrea Michelutti, the tenor saxophonist's loping "Hank" (a tribute to Hank Mobley that he previously recorded in an entirely different setting) settles into a comfortable groove, with the band working together rather than settling for tenor plus rhythm section. "Girl Idlig" is named for Bergonzi's daughter, a hip breezy tune that has the spirit of Bill Evans running through it, a piece likely to become an enduring part of the tenorist's live repertoire. "Soul Mission" is a lighthearted work, with Michelutti switching to brushes, while the hypnotic "Splurge" is a twisting post-bop vehicle that was inspired by Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge." The Caribbean-flavored rhythm of "Left of Memory" utilizes the changes of the standard "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," with Bergonzi wailing and Chicco adding an inventive solo. The one standard, George Gershwin's "Who Cares," is the CD's opening track, a pep-filled workout featuring Bergonzi's explosive tenor powered by his driving rhythm section. ~ Ken Dryden