Thundershine

With Chico Freeman, as the title says! Mostly straight jazz, a free-'60s feel. It's a reissue of a 1994 session with local jazzster Rent Romus -- who's into electronics and dark/evil improv these days but was a more directly "jazz" player back then. His soloing here shows an affinity for free jazz, but he also presents a softer and more conventional side.

You could call this session "retro," but it's well-done retro, with most of the pieces making for nicely thoughtful excursions. I find myself preferring this date to the later, more free-jazz-leaning stuff Romus would do with John Tchicai.

Chico Freeman - (tenor/soprano sax)
Rent Romus - (alto/soprano/baritone sax, flute)
Jason Olaine - (trumpet)
Stefano DeZerega (piano, alto sax)
Ben Leinback (drums)
Ravi Abcarian (bass)

1- Upbeat and dancing, quite the early '70s influence. Loungy slow piano solo.
2- Nicely bopping, catchy. Does include a couple stretched-out, avant-garde pauses.
3- Soft, slow, w/flute
4- Sax testimony, then an interesting pulse rhythm. Toe-tappingly soulful.
5- A nice dusky '60s feel, with a heavy pulse after a dark intro. Would play well on a straight-jazz show. Includes a long, unaccompanied-sax solo that might be Freeman -?
6- Cocktail piano, laid-back, swingy.
7- Longer version of (2). Includes a quiet drum solo.