1. Lost And Found
2. Three/Four Miss C
3. Mojave
4. Shifting Sands
5. Track and Field
6. Step into Spring
7. But Beautiful
8. A Different Dozen
9. Willow Weep For Me
Bob DeVos - Guitar
Eric Alexander – Tenor sax (tracks 2, 5, 9)
Dan Kostelnik – Hammond B-3 organ
Steve Johns – Drums
Gary Fritz – Percussion (tracks 1, 9)
At
one time the organ trio seemed to have slipped
out of fashion. After its glory days (say,
from the mid-fifties to the mid-seventies),
the Hammond organ seemed in danger of being
supplanted in popularity by the synthesizer,
which could create a wider spectrum of sounds
and effects – even reproducing the sounds
of many other instruments. Yet now the organ
trio is undergoing a revival and I, for one,
welcome its resurgence. The Hammond organ
seems particularly suited for straightforward,
bluesy jazz. It is especially good at generating
a driving rhythm from the bass pedals - and
its tendency to make chords merge into one
another means that many notes sound like "blue"
notes.
In
fact the leader here is not an organist but
a guitarist – Bob DeVos, a splendidly gifted
American who can swing at any tempo. He has
been associated with organ groups since he
succeeded Pat Martino as guitarist for organist
Trudy Pitts, and he later played for the likes
of Richard "Groove" Holmes, Jimmy
McGriff and Charles Earland. He concentrates
on single-note lines rather than chords, giving
a clear structure to his solos. This clarity
is evident right from the first track – a
funky number with echoes of Wes Montgomery.
This is one of six originals on the album
written by the guitarist and encompassing
a wide range of styles, including the jazz-waltz
Three/Four Miss C, the brooding title
track, the up-tempo Track and Field
and the grooving A Different Dozen.
His unaccompanied intro and sensitive solo
on But Beautiful are…well, beautiful.
Tenorist
Eric Alexander guests on three tracks and
he is always worth hearing, especially for
his adventurous forays away from what you
might expect. Listen to his work on Willow
Weep for Me (thankfully taken at faster
than the dirge-like tempo that often afflicts
this tune) and his daringly swirling solo
on Three/Four Miss C.
The
organist and drummer are both members of Bob
DeVos’s regular trio. Steve Johns adds some
electrifying drumming, doing everything necessary
to keep the pot boiling, and contributing
some dexterous drum solos. Organist Dan Kostelnik
supplies the right sort of warmth from the
Hammond B-3, although his solos sometimes
lack the lucidity of DeVos’s guitar. It is
often the organist who takes the limelight
in an organ group but here the star is undoubtedly
Bob DeVos.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Savant SCD
2077
