Fred Randolph, Song Without Singing

Fred Randolph, double bassist, electric bassist and composer of worthwhile jazz numbers puts it all together on the recent album Song Without Singing (Creative Spirit 003). It's a shifting set of players getting good traction on the Randolph compositions (plus one by Sting). Fred appears throughout. Matt Clark appears most of the time on piano and Rhodes, as does Rob Roth on tenor, Eric Jekabsen on trumpet, Greg Wyser-Pratte on drums and Brian Rice on percussion. There are guests here and there and all add something to the music.

The album showcases Randolph's bass playing at times and he sounds quite good. The music is often Latin-Afro tinged, well constructed, nicely arranged, and peppered with fine contemporary jazz soloing.

And the pieces carry the music forward in very pleasing ways. It is music to satisfy the sophisticated lover of classic Blue Note multi-horn arrangements, those who dig an Afro-Latin hard bop, and the novice listener, too, who may not know the jazz world that well but can respond to something lively and well played.

Nice! Recommended!