Tony Campise has never become a huge name in the jazz world, but those familiar with the Texas saxman really swear by him. Listening to
Strange Beauty, it isn't hard to see why
Campise's small group of admirers sings his praises with such enthusiasm. The improviser isn't the least bit innovative, but when it comes to playing hard bop with warmth and feeling, he is very much in command of the situation. This solid CD finds
Campise leading a quintet that employs
Joe LoCascio on piano, Fred Hamilton on guitar,
John Adams on bass, and Ed Soph on drums. The Texan plays three different saxophones (tenor, alto, and -- to a lesser degree -- soprano), and he also takes an occasional flute solo. Seven of the 13 tracks were written by LoCascio (including the dusky "Ballad of Chet Baker"), while most of the other selections are standards. Some of the songs that
Campise embraces had long since been done to death by 1995, especially "Stardust" and "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry." But
Campise plays these standards with so much feeling that you're inclined to be forgiving. And besides, it isn't like
Strange Beauty excludes new compositions -- LoCascio's originals, in fact, comprise a slight majority of
Strange Beauty, which was a nice addition to
Campise's impressive, if underrated, catalog. ~ Alex Henderson