There was a time, not all that long ago, when the sound of <person>Martin Speake</person>’s alto saxophone – smooth, round and well modulated – tended to be judged insufficiently forceful or gritty. It’s true that vehemence has never been his style, but when you can say so much in a reasonable tone, there’s no need to shout. This album’s 11 tracks cover a lot of ground, from almost free improvisation to Dancing in the Dark by way of <person>Charlie Parker</person>. It’s hard to imagine a more resourceful or eloquently played set.
A fair share of the credit must go to pianist <person>Ethan Iverson</person> (late of the Bad Plus) for coming up with a stream of ideas, often counterintuitive, that help to keep the whole thing airborne. With bassist <person>Fred Thomas</person> and drummer <person>James Maddren</person> completing the quartet, it’s a superb example of team togetherness. If I had to pick one track, I’d choose Hidden Vision, a typically catchy Speake tune, taken for a bracing run, with brilliant solos by the two principals. It’s clever, tuneful, good humoured and makes perfect sense.