i want to start by telling you that this album features a cover of a song by fred rogers. yes, mister rogers. so, that fact could lead you to some interesting conclusions about this music. the smooth jazz sax tone on this record could almost lead you to believe that this guy's got kenny g in his band. so, um. what is this record doing on promise and warning, you ask? why has this jazz obsession on the part of this site's curators landed us here, at this record? well. i was introduced to this record via listening to kris davis curating a radio show on wkcr, columbia university's station. simulataneously, i happened to be getting into some feel good types of classic jazz piano trios. this site features postings of records by tommy flanagan, jaki byard and barry harris. those old classics are upbeat and swinging, and this record by this young blood hailing from new orleans is interesting by comparison in that it shows how this tradition is being kept alive. this music is the opposite of edgy. and, that, to me, makes it vastly different than a lot of music that i listen to. that's fine, the same could be said about polka music. what is it that makes this compelling to me at this point in time? well, it's roots in the african american classical cannon makes it interesting, for starters. it is all at once very virtuosic and totally unpretentious. it's not showy, but the energy of the music is really bright and highly focused and not in any way dull. this all seems to be happening in spite of all the major key melodies and seemingly pat song structures, so that becomes in a way interesting, to see how one can breathe life into this type of fare. i will be interested to revisit this one six months from now. by then i'll be able to tell if i'd simply spent too much time at the perfume counter when i encountered this particular slice of mainstream jazz. 

_DJ Scat Cat