Step On It

MIKE LONGO: Step On It
CAP, 2014

STRAIGHTAHEAD JAZZ – Here’s a pleasing set with three veteran players taking familiar tunes—many of them modern jazz standards from the books of Shorter, Trane, Hancock, et al.—and making them all sound fresh. Longo’s touch at the piano isn’t flashy, but it’s rich and full of deep, lush chords, often balanced with a hardbop or funky edge.

Fo’s Picks: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 11

1. 5:54 – Coltrane tune gets lightly funky with an easy sway
2. 6:31 – slow, exotic ballad: a modern spin on the tiki-lounge sound
3. 3:35 – uptempo hardbop with a softer side, played with some restraint
4. 7:14 – light ‘n’ easy stroll thru Wayne Shorter’s mysterious modal classic
5. 5:25 – airy Brazilian ballad: piano jabs lightly, steady rhythm, bass solo
6. 5:22 – funky classic high-steps at a moderate, even tempo
7. 5:36 – beautiful, waltzing take on a stirring Joe Henderson melody
8. 4:56 – lively glide with a bossa nova beat, nice piano solo
9. 5:27 – lazy Kurt Weill ballad, romantic but not overly sentimental
10. 3:04 – energetic mid/uptempo bop bounce: piano skips merrily
11. 4:13 – uptempo latin classic wiggles happily along

[ Fo ] - 8 May 2014