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Story by Brad Walseth
Photos by John Broughton
Saxophonist Chris Greene and his quartet took the stage at the Jazz Showcase Tuesday night in support of their splendid new CD - MERGE (watch for our review coming soon). This is the quartet's third release with the same lineup and the comfort level was apparent from the start as they swung comfortably into Brazilian composer Ed Motta's "Amalgasantos" - a tune they covered on Soul and Science Vol. 2 - Electric Boogaloo (see our review here). Greene's style on the sax is both kinetic, yet thoughtful - not unlike that of his heroes Maceo Parker and Steve Coleman, while keyboardist Damian Espinosa shone brightly on the Jazz Showcase grand piano. Both have obviously put in the time in the woodshed as their chops continue to grow and impress. Meanwhile ultra-tight rhythm-section mates bassist Marc Piane and drummer Tyrone Blair provided a solid and dynamic basis for the group.
Upon completion of this energy-fllled number, the band launched into Ellis Marsalis' "Swingin' at the Haven." This hard-hitting opening two songs got the crowd fired up. Espinosa moved over onto the electric keys for Greene's "You'll Thank Me Later" from the new album. Piane's slippery groove on the bass locked in with Blair's rocking drums, gives this addictive track its undertones. Again tasty solos from Greene and Espinosa were on tap. Another track from MERGE - Espinosa's "In Confidence," followed and was a crowd pleaser with Greene switching over to soprano sax on this track written for the keyboardist's wife.
A lovely version of "In a Sentimental Mood" was up next and proved that the group - which is known for it's unusual covers of artists like Sting ("King of Pain"), Hank Williams ("You Win Again") and Madonna ("Borderline" - on the new CD) is equally adept at covering the standards. Again, the level of interaction among the members of the group was impressive.
Ending the first set with an explosive version of the MERGE opener - "Good Riddance" showcased Blair's abilities. A drummer with impeccable time, he also enhances the proceedings with a wide array of percussive sounds from his kit. With a truly killer funky 7/4 break, this tune nearly shook the walls down with its energy level and featured perhaps the highpoint of the first set: the "duel" between saxophonist Greene and drummer Blair.
Greene continues to evolve as one of the best young players in the city, and his band is making the move with him. The focus, hard work and sense of purpose is paying off for these cats, and what an enjoyable experience it is for their audiences to see and hear.
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