Todd Phillips is best-known as a first-call bassist in
bluegrass, though like his former boss,
David Grisman, he is a tough musician to pigeonhole into any one category. This session for
Compass consists of nine originals, which draw from
jazz and
classical music. The leader is heard on bass, mandolin, octave mandolin, mando-cello, and percussion. He's joined by
Paul McCandless (soprano sax, oboe, English horn, bass clarinet),
Joe Caploe (marimba and vibes), violinist
Darol Anger (another
Grisman alum), and drummer
Paul VanWageningen. The opening track,
"Shuffled," falls into a
post-bop groove, with the leader's melodic bass complemented by
McCandless' tasty bass clarinet. English horn and marimba introduce
"Paths," an exotic piece which quickly detours from the expected path. The bittersweet
"Looking Back" combines oboe and mando-cello into a compelling
ballad. Anyone familiar with
Todd Phillips' earlier recordings as a leader will be delighted with this highly recommended CD, too. ~ Ken Dryden
