The Stryker/Slagle Band's third CD can be described as post-bop with an edge. Both
Dave Stryker (guitar) and
Steve Slagle (alto sax, soprano sax, flute) have paid a lot of dues as sidemen and have recorded albums of their own. But sparks fly when the two men join forces, propelled by bassist
Jay Anderson and drummer extraordinaire
Victor Lewis. Tenor saxist
Joe Lovano is an added guest on several numbers, including "Skee,"
Slagle's quirky tribute to the late
Dennis Irwin, a highly sought-after bassist who lost his battle with cancer in early 2008, along with
Slagle's loping,
Monk-flavored "Hopewell's Last."
Stryker penned a few songs as well, including the upbeat vehicle "Brighter Day" (also adding
Lovano) and the explosive "Strikology," a thinly disguised reworking of
John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice."
Slagle switches to flute for a spirited interpretation of
Roland Kirk's "Fingers in the Wind," with
Stryker providing subdued backing for his pyrotechnics. ~ Ken Dryden