Scott Robinson: Bronze Nemesis (Doc-Tone)
Robinson unleashes his imagination and a substantial cross section of his instrumental arsenal to pay homage to the 20th century pulp fiction adventure hero Doc Savage. He uses the colossal contrabass sax to great effect, but his otherworldly theremin wins the weird-atmosphere sweepstakes. Novelty aside, the music is entertaining and high in quality. Pianist Ted Rosenthal, drummer Dennis Mackrel, bassists Pat O’Leary and— on one track—the late Dennis Irwin power the rhythm section. Trumpeter Randy Sandke has exploratory moments that are likely to surprise those who have him typecast in the mainstream. The album is a wild, satisfying ride.