Latest releases reviewed
STEVE HECKMAN
Tenor and soprano saxophonist Heckman is an avowed Coltrane disciple and, to judge by this fine CD, it has allowed him to channel his own voice in a definitely personal way. He's a very capable player with a gift for producing coherent, well-structured solos, as he does on Soul Eyes, Equinox and You're a Weaver of Dreams, all associated with earlier Coltrane. What neither he nor his quartet with Matt Clark (piano), Karen Horner (bass) and Jemal Ramirez has is the relentless intensity generated by Coltrane and his classic Tyner-Garrison-Jones rhythm section. The comparison is unavoidable in the circumstances, but is less than fair to a group which performs to a high standard without transcending the material, as Coltrane and his colleagues did. www.steveheckman.com Ray Comiskey
OREGON Prime CamJazz ***
Oregon, 35 years old, still has multi-reedman Paul McCandless, guitarist Ralph Towner and bassist Glen Moore from the original quartet, while drummer-percussionist Mark Walker joined in 1997. Impossible, then, not to admire the sheer vibrant unity of the group, and the virtuosity of its front line, especially McCandless's awesome command of the oboe. Both he and Towner, hand-in-glove, conjure up one melodic felicity after another, one adding to the tonal palette with bass clarinet, soprano and sopranino, the other with 12-string guitar, piano, keyboards and synth guitar. Some listeners may find the impeccably manicured and well-absorbed world music influences ultimately as exciting as clean living, but fans will love it. www.harmoniamundi.com Ray Comiskey
ENRICO RAVA Tati ECM *****
Although Rava's debt to trumpeter Miles Davis is clear in his gorgeously melancholic, airy playing here on the ballads The Man I Love, E lucevan le stelle, Paul Motian's beautiful Gang of 5 and his own Golden Eyes, he hasn't forgotten the free playing with which he first made his name. On this lovely album, Rava is joined by drummer Motian and the marvellous pianist Stefano Bollani, two who can adorn the lyrical, melodic side of his musical persona and respond fully to his more adventurous inclinations on originals like Fantasm and Cornettology. The result is as much a textbook example in handling melody and sensitive interplay as it is a joyous celebration of venturing outside the envelope and retaining focus without a shred of self-indulgence. www.musicconnection.org.uk Ray Comiskey
