The subtitle of this album is ‘Tribute to the Tenor Masters’, and it is exactly what it says on the tin as Jorge Nila and his band take on tunes which originally featured the likes of Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Harold Vicki and others. For the band he looked to guitarist Dave Stryker who he has been working with on and off for forty years, and who also produced the album, drummer Dana Murray and Hammond B-3 player Mitch Towne. Together they have created something which is incredibly warm and comforting, like a blanket being wrapped around the listener. One can’t imagine this group ever having a singer as there is just no room between the notes, as the space is always perfectly filled with no room for anything else to enter the world.

Even though the album has Jorge’s name on it, and his picture on the cover, he doesn’t feel the need to be involved at all times and often sits back to allow wither Dave or Mitch to take the lead, making his presence felt at just the right time. I found this an incredibly relaxing album, something to listen to in the evening with the lights down low and a glass of red wine to hand. Wayne Shorter’s “Infant Eyes” takes the music to a new level, with delicacy, emotion and poignancy all wrapped up in a six-minute journey that is sublime and gorgeous in so many ways. Even if you don’t generally listen to jazz, this album is a delicious way to get into the genre.

Rating: 8/10

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Track list:
1. Fried Bananas
2. Soul Station
3. On a Misty Night
4. Infant Eyes
5. Rocket Love
6. Inner Urge
7. The Everywhere Calypso
8. The Eternal Triangle
9. Our Miss Brooks

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Links:
https://ninjazzrecords.com/