Dave Turner Quartet: Confederation Park

Dave Turner (baritone sax), Dave Grott (trombone), Vanessa Rodrigues (Hammond B-3), John McCaslin (drums)

Dave Turner, more commonly seen on alto and other horns, restricted himself to baritone for his latest quartet project, which fashioned itself after the '60s Blue Note soul and groove music, but with a distinctively bottom-heavy sound that combined baritone and trombone in the front line. The surprise of the set was Rodrigues, who is clearly a talent to watch. With the melodicism and excitement of Shirley Scott, she played with a maturity that was all the more remarkable given her young age. She built solos to a fever pitch, yet always had her ears open to what was happening with the rest of the group. She seemed especially well-tuned to McCaslin who, while capable of much more, always put the groove first, knowing exactly when to lay back with a simple backbeat. Grott was a competent player, but lacked any real panache; Turner demonstrated, however, that regardless of the horn he was capable of confident playing in a relatively straight-ahead context.
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=14138#Turner

John Kelman

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