Walt Weiskopf Quartet

LiveCapri ****

On this live recording, tenor saxophonist and composer Walt Weiskopf had the benefit of a rhythm section he had worked with before – Renee Rosnes (piano), Paul Gill (bass) and the late Tony Reedus (drums) – and it shows. A programme of originals whose challenges went beyond the merely clever was authoritatively delivered, with Weiskopf in typically outstanding form and Rosnes, energised by the polyrhythmic power of Reedus on drums, equally magnificent. As soloists, both have a sense of musical architecture and a fine feel for drama and adventure, even at the fastest tempos; it's telling how Weiskpf breaks up his phrases on the furious Breakdownto evade under- the-fingers runs. But on a CD without a weak track, from the euphoric groove of the 3/4 Dizzy Spells/Jay-Walking, to ballads such as A Little Minor Love Song, this quartet oozes class. See caprirecords.com