The
jazz sextet
Planet Jazz (no relation to the
club/dance band that used the same name) was founded by drummer
Johnny Ellis, who contributed several of the compositions heard on this CD but died in 1999, long before the recording session. This strong
bop-oriented group is fronted by tenor saxophonist
Grant Stewart and trumpeter/fluegelhornist
Joe Magnarelli, with pianist
Spike Wilner, guitarist
Peter Bernstein, bassist
Neal Miner, and drummer
Joe Strasser.
Stewart and
Magnarelli kick each other into high gear trading fours in
Ellis' lively
"Buttermoose." Another
Ellis work,
"The Cow Is Now," is a slightly quirky
jazz waltz. Their choice of
Charlie Shavers' neglected
"Dawn on the Desert" is inspired, with
Wilner giving it a
Latin flavor and adding a slightly ominous tinge. He also scored
Hampton Hawes'
"Sonora," which fuels some of the most inspired solos of the date, accompanied by a breezy
Latin backbeat.
Duke Ellington and
Billy Strayhorn composed
"Dual Highway" as a
blues vehicle for alto sax great
Johnny Hodges, though their recording wasn't issued until well after the deaths of all three musicians.
Planet Jazz do a nice job utilizing this unjust obscurity as a feature for each member in turn. It's too bad that
Johnny Ellis didn't live long enough to witness this impressive session. ~ Ken Dryden
