Heart of Hearts

Rick Margitza's first CD for the Palmetto label is a by-the-book post-bop affair. One gets the sense that the young tenor and soprano saxophonist is not taking a lot of chances. The quartet lineup couldn't be hotter, however: Joining Margitza are Joey Calderazzo on piano, Scott Colley on bass, and Ian Froman on drums. Five of the ten tracks are Margitza originals; the cover material includes such interesting choices as Randy Newman's "Dexter's Tune" (played as a piano/tenor duet), Don Grolnick's "The Four Sleepers" (based on "Autumn Leaves"' changes), and Chick Corea's "You're Everything," along with standards such as "You Must Believe in Spring" and Cy Coleman's "With Every Breath I Take." Margitza's tunes are respectable but not especially bold or memorable. "Provence" and "14 Bar Blues" move along with medium Latin tempos; the title track is a minor-key waltz; and "Father John" swings flat-out in Coltrane-esque modal fashion. "Some of the Things I Am," a novel reworking of "All the Things You Are," has Margitza soloing on two tracks simultaneously, creating the effect of a real-time internal dialogue. This is Margitza at his most clever and engaging. ~ David R. Adler, Rovi