Tenor saxophonist
Pete Mills and organist
Tony Monaco make for a very potent musical team throughout
Fresh Spin. Although the instrumentation is that of a 1960s soul-jazz organ group, the music, other than two standards ("A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," a tenor guitar duet, and guitarist
Pete McCann's "Cooked Cheese") is comprised of
Mills' originals. While he has a big tone, the saxophonist's playing is much more complex and adventurous than that of the usual role models in this setting, such as
Stanley Turrentine and
Houston Person. The veteran organist
Monaco shows a lot of flexibility and sounds comfortable in this often-sparse setting, guitarist
Pete McCann has a few fine solos, drummer Jim Rupp is fine in support, and bassist
Andy Woodson helps out on three numbers. Rather than emulating the usual soul-jazz bands of the '60s, this is an organ group for the 21st century. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow