The feel of this set (the debut as a leader by tenor saxophonist
Ralph Moore) is very much in the style of
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. That should not be a surprise, for even though
Moore did not play with
Blakey (the closest he came was with
Horace Silver), trumpeter
Brian Lynch and pianist
Benny Green certainly did. With guitarist
Kevin Eubanks, bassist
Rufus Reid and drummer
Kenny Washington completing the sextet,
Moore leads the band through two originals,
Eubanks' "Round Trip," and
Lynch's "Back Room Blues," and a pair of jazz standards. A fine hard bop date and an excellent start to
Ralph Moore's solo career. ~ Scott Yanow