Martin Wind, (Challenge). The versatile bassist brings together multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson, pianist Bill Cunliffe and drummer Greg Hutchinson to play compositions by Wind, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. Wind’s complex “Mr. Friesen,” a tribute to cellist Eugene Friesen, could give this talented composer an entry in the jazz standards book. Of his arsenal of instruments, Robinson confines himself to tenor sax, bass clarinet and echo cornet. His tenor work suggests that he should be placing in poll categories other than those for unusual instruments. Cunliffe’s solos show why he is in demand on both coasts. Wind’s bass lines, as usual, are perfection.
Per usual, one of your picks is an unexpected treat for me. I’ve heard Martin Wind play with Bill Mays and Matt Wilson so I knew he’d be solid. Bill Cunliffe and Greg Hutchinson are strong collaborators but it’s the excellent Scott Robinson that just knocks me flat. No cliches, just constant invention, and flashes of his wicked sense of humor.