Hakan Brostrom, a veteran Swedish saxophonist, contributes 11 compositions to this CD that are often influenced a bit by
John Coltrane from the
Giant Steps period. However, his solos on alto and soprano are quite fresh and individual, falling into the hard bop/post-bop area. Some of
Brostrom's songs have complex chord structures, while others ("Configuration," which is based on
Charlie Parker's "Confirmation," and the uptempo blues "For the Lost Ones") use more basic chord changes. In all cases, the quartet swings hard and often acts as one.
Brostrom comes up with colorful and passionate solos on alto and particularly soprano, sounding quite lyrical on his memorable ballad "Thankfulness." Virtually unknown in the United States,
Hakan Brostrom is a superior interpreter of jazz's modern mainstream, and he deserves much greater recognition in the U.S.
Do You Remember? shows off his playing and writing at its best. ~ Scott Yanow