Ellis, Dave
Milestone, 2003, CD
Instrument: Saxophone
Issue: 9.3
Jazz Ruler Type: Bebop
Performance: 5
Sound: 4
Score: 
O’s Notes: Dave plays tenor sax and employs an all-star cast including Mulgrew Miller (p), Lewis Nash (d), Christian McBride (b), Vincent Herring (alto sax) and Peter Washington (b). Good musicians plus an excellent set of songs make a great album. Dave’s own tune, “Not That You Asked” and Miller’s “Soul-Leo” have enough funk to entice the contemporary crowd but enough sophistication to engage bebop fans at the same time. Coltrane’s “Grand Central allows Dave and company to stretch out while mellowing out on “Isabella Blue”. Top notch!