Given the title, one might expect Schwartz to be leading a saxophone quartet, and in some ways, one is correct but also very wrong. Schwartz is an organist, as well as a composer and arranger, so here we have an album with his name on the front cover, but he does not actually play on it at all. Apart from guitar on one track, vocals on another and percussion on yet another, these eight tracks (five originals and three standards which have been rearranged) this album features only saxophones care of Marcus G. Miller (soprano saxophone), Irwin Hall (alto saxophone), Anthony Ware (tenor saxophone), and Max Schweiger (baritone saxophone). Apart from his friend Max, these musicians are ex-students of his at the Jazz Institute of New Jersey.

Schwartz has released ten albums in his own right, as well as appearing on another 40 as a sideman, but this is the first time we find him releasing an album on which he is not actually performing. I have only come across a few saxophone quartet albums in my time reviewing, most notably the UK’s Delta Saxophone Quartet and their superb release ‘Dedicated To You’ where they rearranged music originally by Soft Machine, and in many ways that is a shame as this album shows that when the compositions have been carefully arranged there is something quite special indeed. All four of the musicians are allowed to lead, while the baritone is often found going off on its own with counter melodies with the rest either harmonising together or providing support for one or other as they continue on their journeys. The arrangements are fresh and exciting, and even someone who may not generally listen to much jazz will surely find a great deal here to enjoy as this is a delight.

This may well have been a sidestep for Schwartz, a musical excursion, but one can only hope that he feels this has been worthwhile enough to repeat the experiment as there is a joy and lightness within which is palpable.

Rating: 7/10

Links:
https://www.radamschwartz.com/
https://www.arabesquerecords.com/