Paul Bollenback's fourth CD for
Challenge is a mostly trio affair with bassist
Ray Drummond and drummer
Jeff "Tain" Watts. The influence of
John Scofield is immediately obvious, though
Bollenback's style is much less jagged and more melodic. The opening track,
"Estate," adds vibraphonist
Joe Locke in an arrangement that begins as a dreamy duet by the two before switching to a more pensive setting with the addition of
Drummond and
Watts. His lively upbeat take of the old
standard "I Fall in Love Too Easily" contrasts with the usual maudlin interpretations, while his addition of a march-like cadence to
Michel Legrand's
"The Summer Knows" (the theme from the film
Summer of '42) removes the typically pensive and often overly dramatic air of this well-known song. Usually attempts to play the music of
the Rolling Stones in a
jazz setting have been miserable failures, but
Bollenback's soft imaginative take, with a shift to a
Latin rhythm, is the happy exception to the rule. The leader also contributed a trio of originals to the date, including the edgy
blues "Taining In." It's obvious that
Bollenback put a lot of thought into his arrangements for this release; as a result, this is a disc which will not only stand up to the test of time but reveal new facets after repeated hearings. ~ Ken Dryden
