On tenor saxophonist
Walter Blanding's debut as a leader, the
Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra member enlists the services of drummer Rodney Green and fellow LCJO members trumpeter Ryan Kisor, pianist Farid Barron, and bassist
Rodney Whitaker to perform four originals, three jazz classics, and two standards. Only 28 at the time of this recording, Blanding's sound is not as heavy as
Mark Shim or as light as
Mark Turner, but he is a solid tenor player in the tradition of
Hank Mobley. Favorites include up-tempo burners "Never Too Late" and "One Day Before Tomorrow," featuring Kisor's crisp tone and aggressive attack, the joyous swing of Thelonius Monk's "Worry Later," and the hard shuffle of
Wayne Shorter's "Charcoal Blues," featuring Green's dynamic drumming. This is a very promising debut from one of the original
Tough Young Tenors. ~ Greg Turner