Altoist
Jeff Benedict has a tone that's a bit influenced by
David Sanborn, but he sticks to straight-ahead jazz on this fine quintet date. Based in Los Angeles, where he is a top music educator,
Benedict used some of Southern California's top modern mainstream jazz musicians for the project: trumpeter Steve Huffsteter, pianist
Cecilia Coleman, bassist Bart Samolis, and drummer Dean Koba. Together they explore some of
Benedict's favorite songs plus two of his originals.
Benedict, Huffsteter, and
Coleman all have plenty of high-quality solos throughout the date, which includes such songs as "A Foggy Day," "Dolphin Dance,"
Joe Henderson's "Recordame," "Take the Coltrane," and "The Days of Wine and Roses." ~ Scott Yanow