Ease On

On organist Jeff Palmer's fourth recording as a leader, he gathered the talents of old friend, guitarist John Abercrombie, alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe, and drummer Victor Lewis to perform six Palmer originals and one jazz classic, McCoy Tyner's "Blues on the Corner." Palmer is a fine, if unheralded, organist whose strong basslines suggest Jimmy Smith and whose freer approach to improvisation suggests Larry Young, while Blythe's bluesy alto sound and freer improvisational approach make him a perfect Palmer partner. Abercrombie plays with a sometimes warm jazzy tone, sometimes with a distorted rockish sound, while Lewis is solid and "in the pocket" throughout. Every selection on Ease On is blues, but the music does not get monotonous. Favorites include the opener, "Good News," a medium up burner; the similar sounding title track, "Modal Scallopini" that begins with an Afro-Latin groove that changes into an up-tempo blues with a wild Blythe alto solo; "Mid Move, a medium blues shuffle that features a bluesier Blythe; and the funky, danceable "Gas Mask." This is an excellent recording from an under-recognized talent.