Keith Javors, a jazz educator who is a talented pianist, plays in a modal style at times reminiscent of
McCoy Tyner. He contributed all eight of the compositions on
Mo' City Jungle, his third recording as a leader. At times the music sounds like an extension of the legacy of
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, but the chord structures are generally complex and the soloists are a bit more modern. While "Mo' City Jungle" is a medium-up minor blues that serves to introduce the members of the sextet, other pieces use more advanced chord changes that clearly challenge the soloists. None of the three horn players has a distinctive and memorable voice yet (both of the saxophonists hint at
Michael Brecker at times) and Dane Bays' tone is a bit grating on the ballad "Afternoon in Roatan." On the plus side,
Javors is an excellent soloist and his music is never predictable or overly safe. The driving "Conclusion of the Matter" is a high point of this worthy set.