Eric Reed

It is easy to be fooled initially by pianist Eric Reed's latest recording. He starts off the set with an effective tribute to Art Blakey and sometimes takes solos that are influenced by McCoy Tyner's chord voicings, but the music on a whole is actually fresh and fairly original, rather than just a copy of the Blue Note years. Except for the final two numbers (pieces by James Leary and Wessell Anderson), all of the music was composed by Reed, and these range from somber ballads and solid swing to the upbeat church feel of "Baby Sis" (which has a heated wah-wah solo from guest trombonist Wycliffe Gordon). Half of the selections are trio numbers for Reed with bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, while the remainder of the set has a two-horn quintet (except for altoist Wessell Anderson's ballad feature on "Upper Wess Side"). Anderson and trumpeter Nicholas Payton (who sounds more like Freddie Hubbard every day) make for a potent team, particularly when they solo together on "Pete and Repete." Although the three "Scandal" pieces, which are brief fragments of the same number, are a bit frivolous and certainly inconclusive, the remainder of the program serves as a strong example of modern mainstream jazz. Eric Reed continues to grow as an improviser and composer with each recording. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide