Alto saxophonist
Bobby Militello is best known for his long tenure as a member of
the Dave Brubeck Quartet, so it's a treat to hear him in a different setting as a leader. With keyboardist Bobby Jones, drummer
Bob Leatherbarrow, guitarist
Mark Manetta, electric bassist Jim Kurzdorfer, and trumpeter
Jeff Jarvis, he delves into soul-jazz, Latin jazz, bop, and hard bop. He's an underrated saxophonist, with the power and imagination of
Phil Woods (as heard in his interpretations of standards like
Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" and "I Love You") and the soul of
Cannonball Adderley (demonstrated in
Adderley's "Wabash").
Militello is also a superb flutist, switching to flute for the Latin-flavored "Que Bonito" (written by Jones) and alto flute for the funky "Rain Devil." Because
Militello has been very active touring and recording with
Brubeck since the 1994 sessions that make up this CD, he seems unlikely to do another CD for the time being. ~ Ken Dryden