Trumpeter Jim Rotondi. "Jim's Bop"

This album is a fine example of a young group of New York based musicians who can be called true "keepers of the Jazz flame" They are advancing the Jazz tradition and contributing to it's evolution without moving far away from that grand tradition. They are not trying to re-create a past era and be fashionably "retro". These players are all very much in the present and play with a genuine energy and creativeness that recreating the past in music and fashion does not possess. They are for real and of today. Trumpeter Jim Rotondi reflects his influences of Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan but brings his personality to the fore as does tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander in reflecting his main influences, George Coleman, Sonny Rollins and "Blue Trane" period John Coltrane. Bassist John Webber is solid in the way Paul Chambers and Sam Jones were and is a bass player's bass player. Drummer Joe Farnsworth reflects the playing style of his mentor Arthur Taylor and he tempers this with the taste of Billy Higgins. The glue that holds this band together is the veteran pianist Harold Mabern who has played with virtually anybpdy who is anybody in the Jazz world . His presence and guidance is not lost on these younger men. Harold has kept his youthful energy by associating, inspiring and making music with these men and others of the same age and philosophy. M "Mabes" is forever! The tunes on this set called "Jim's Bop" are well chosen. A mixture of original tunes by Rotondi, Alexander and Farnsworth are heard plus a beautiful ballad, "We'll Be Together Again" and a rarely played Horace Silver tune called "Moonrays" is heard plus a fine arrangement of the latter day Stevie Wonder classic, :You Are The Sunshine of My Life". All in all "Jim's Bop" is a fine showcase for everyone's talent and a damn fine record date.