Pianist
Eric Gould alternates three of his originals with jazz standards from
John Coltrane,
Cedar Walton,
Joe Henderson,
Wayne Shorter, and
Horace Silver on the modern straight-ahead jazz set
Who Sez?.
Gould plays quite well (with touches of early
Herbie Hancock,
Keith Jarrett, and
McCoy Tyner in his ideas), while Talib Kibwe on alto and soprano sometimes comes close to overshadowing the leader. Trumpeter
Pharez Whitted has his spots too, but the focus is primarily on
Gould and Kibwe. The modal music, much of it based in the 1960s, is well served by these talented musicians, and although the playing is not flawless (plenty of chances are taken), it is never dull. The musicians all show strong potential for the future. ~ Scott Yanow