Ray Blue has been an important saxophonist for the past 20 years, releasing material as a bandleader for most of that time. Over the years he has worked with the likes John Gilmore, Art Davis, Benny Powell, Eddie Henderson, the Charlie Persip Super Band, Wycliffe Gordon, Steve Turre, Ted Curson, and The Sun Ra Arkestra, as well as educator and founder of Cross-Cultural Connection, Inc. a non-profit organization that promotes jazz culture, performance and education. Here he teams up with three pianists (Sharp Radway, Kirk Lightsey and Benito Gonzalez), guitarist Jeff Barone, bassist Essiet Okon Essiet, drummer Steve Johns and, on three songs apiece, trombonist Ron Wilkins and percussionist Neil Clark.
If I could describe this album in just one word it would be “light”, with the definition of “something that makes vision possible”. This is such an accessible album, one which lets the listener deep inside on the very first play and gain more and more from each successive return. It is delicate, it contains joy, it has emotion, and all the way through is that beautiful sax shining the way. There are some originals on the album, combined with versions of standards and lesser known jazz numbers, but they are combined together to create something quite special. The delicacy of “My Friend And I Took A Walk” is sublime, and after leading the song he sits back and lets piano take over before the join forces together again. Contrast that with “Attitude”, which is far more in your face and complex with guitar following the melody line, as they move and swing along at pace. This is a summer’s day jazz album, guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of anyone who enjoys jazz. It certainly did to mine.
Rating: 9/10
