Alto/soprano saxophonist Allan Chase has appeared on twenty
jazz recordings, including six with Your Neighborhood Saxophone Quartet, and a
recent release with Prima Materia "Peace on Earth Music of John
Coltrane," with Coltrane's last drummer, Rashied Ali. Now Chase's first
date as a leader has taken jazz critics by storm.
Chase,
who wrote his master's thesis on the music of Sun Ra, has unearthed a brilliant
selection of interesting material, here ranging from obscure Bud Powell numbers
(Comin' Up, Borderick), unexpected standards (Poinciana, East of the Sun, Of
Thee I Sing, How Little We Know, Close Your Eyes) and the otherwise unknown,
Sun Ra-penned title tune.
"One of the most entertaining and engaging CDs of the
year."
-Bob Young, Boston Herald
"A coolly adventurous quartet [which] keenly recalls Mulligan
& Baker for counterpoint and brevity, Rollins & Cherry for wit and
width."
-Fred Bouchard, JazzTimes
"Top 10 for 1995...walks the tradition/exploration line with
as much assurance (not to mention hard swing) as any recent release."
-Bob
Blumenthal, Boston Globe
"This album is so good we keep thinking it's some kind of
mistake after all, where's the hype? The Quartet conjure an exquisite cross
between the early Ornette Coleman Quartet and the Modern Jazz Quartet. In its
ensemble richness, the Chase unit also resembles the early Miles Davis small
groups."
-Jon Garelick, Boston Phoenix
Personnel: Allan Chase, as, ss;
Ron Horton, tp, fl; Tony Scherr, bs; Matt Wilson, dms.
Tracks: 1.Dark Clouds with Silver
Linings; 2.Poinciana; 3.Comin' Up;
4.How Little We Know; 5.Borderick; 6.Close Your Eyes; 7.East of the Sun;
8.Routine; 9.Of Thee I Sing; 10.Dismal; 11.Yeah; 12.Theme from "The
Clamdiggers."
