Asking No Permission

Recorded during the heyday of the New York jazz club Small's, Asking No Permission features a particularly intriguing four-saxophone sextet led by bassist Omer Avital. Avital contributed all but one of the seven selections heard on this CD, and his bass is often in the lead. The four saxophonists (three tenors and one alto) all have their solo spots, particularly during the more extended performances, but the music stays coherent and usually tightly controlled. Avital, who is showcased on "Ballad," sometimes has as much solo space as his sidemen and he uses it well, displaying an attractive tone and a fertile imagination within the modern mainstream of jazz. Asking No Permission grows with interest with each listen.