I am not a jazz sophisticate, nor a fanatical jazz fan, but I grew up hearing plenty of it around my house. Occasionally, I come across an album that I think is worth listening to, and even owning. I remember Kai Winding’s “Dirty Dog” (only available on vinyl these days), enjoyed Branford Marsalis’s “I Heard You Twice the First Time,” and attended an early concert of Wynton Marsalis in which he introduced his piano player, Marcus Roberts, who has gone on to become a soloist and whose “Gershwin For Lovers” I own.
But not every good musician is a franchise. (Yet.) There are very good musicians on local scenes, and one I heard in Boston years ago, playing jazz, afro-cuban, latin, and exotica at various locales and on various wind instruments, has at last released a solo jazz album on tenor saxophone. Here’s the blurb on the new album on the Jazz Legacy Productions website: “One of the best tenor saxophonists to come along in years. Tim Mayer’s approach to the horn is sophisticated, passionate, and lyrical. His big sound is warm and powerful. Listen for yourself. Tim Mayer is definitely here to stay!”
To listen for yourself, here’s the link. Enjoy.
Shimshonit 
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