eMusic Review 0
Tenor saxophone lovers, perk up your ears. Greene's sixth outing as a leader is in the mode of (and nearly the equal of) such tenor-centric triumphs as Chris Potter's Lift and Donny McCaslin's In Pursuit. Granted, the suite-suite music (four Christian-themed songs, each with three distinct movements) that anchors the collection is bracketed by tributes to a pair of altoists, Ornette Coleman and Jackie McLean. And yes, Greene's tone is thinner and more altoish than Potter's or McCaslin's — and he even takes up the soprano on "Song For Isaiah."
But there is a brawny swagger to these tracks (recorded live in Greene's hometown of Hartford, Connecticut), a seizing-the-reins attitude that further bolsters the angular verve of Greene's phrasing, that makes this a coming-out party. Perhaps it's the intimacy of the material: "The Overcomer's Suite" pays tribute to his wife ("Nelba's Victory"), firstborn son ("Song For Isaiah"), Jesus in the garden ("Gethsemane") and David versus Goliath ("David Undaunted") and "I'll Keep Loving You" is a sonic hug for McLean, Greene's early, most influential mentor.
Yet it is the bow to Coleman on the opening "Anthem of Hope" that sets the tone and raises the bar on this rollicking yet… read more »
