Tenor saxophonists
Jerry Weldon and
Michael Karn share many of the same influences including
Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt,
Sonny Rollins,
Hank Mobley and Joe Henderson. Karn has a slightly harder tone but the two tenors are quite complementary and of equal talent. For this hard bop outing from Criss Cross,
Weldon and Karn are joined by pianist
Bruce Barth, bassist Peter Washington and drummer
Billy Drummond. Although the co-leaders contribute two originals apiece, the newer pieces are in the same basic chordal-oriented style as the six vintage tunes (which include a long and blazing tenor tradeoff on "Ko-Ko," "Ow," the
Sonny Rollins-associated "If Ever I Would Leave You" and ballad features for Karn ("Who Can I Turn To") and
Weldon ("All the Way"). Fun music easily recommended to straight-ahead jazz collectors. ~ Scott Yanow