On
Adonis Rose's second recording as a leader, the New Orleans-based drummer performs with the same musicians on his first recording, his bandmates in
the Nicholas Payton Quintet. This time
Rose,
Payton, tenor saxophonist
Tim Warfield, pianist
Anthony Wonsey, and bassist
Reuben Rogers perform three
Rose originals, one by
Wonsey, two by
Wayne Shorter, and one standard. As one would expect from a working band, the music is well-played, covering a variety of styles and tempos within the post-bop idiom, with
Rose staying mostly in the background, with one notable exception being his explosive drum solo on the angular, up-tempo "Tonk," written by
Rose for his younger brother. Other favorites include the hard-hitting free bop of
Shorter's "Dolores," and two beautiful ballads, the title track and "I Remember You," a feature for
Payton's trumpet. The recording ends with
Wonsey's funky "Smooth Jazz," which owes more to '60s Blue Note than to that radio-friendly music genre. This is a very good step forward in this musician's development. ~ Greg Turner