Bob Wilber was ahead of his time when he chose the soprano sax as his primary instrument back in the 1940s, absorbing everything he could from
Sidney Bechet before the master saxophonist departed to live and work in Europe. Fast forward to 2010 and
Wilber is sharing his knowledge of the instrument with young players
Antti Sarpila and
Nik Payton, though all three men double on clarinet during the record date as well. Starting with
Wilber's "Vampin' Miss Georgia" (a thinly disguised "Sweet Georgia Brown"), it's clear that the three players are having a lot of fun in a rare opportunity to all play soprano together. But the two younger men also have a great sound on tenor, as heard in "Bean" (
Wilber's swinging tribute to
Coleman Hawkins), which also features
Jeff Barnhart's lively striding piano. The three reedmen switch to clarinet for a brisk treatment of "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise," which also features brief solos by
Barnhart, bassist
Nicki Parrott, and the veteran guitarist
Bucky Pizzarelli. This is a thoroughly enjoyable outing that is easily recommended. ~ Ken Dryden