Live At the Old Pasedena Summerfest (Live)

Thom Teresi is a well-known presence around Los Angeles, a popular and adventurous jazz fusion keyboardist as well as owner of the innovative and diverse indie label Rhombus Records. One of the most exciting free gigs on the local landscape is the annual Playboy Festival's preview called the Old Pasadena Summerfest, and Teresi's 45-minute set at this event in 2001 is the basis of this exciting recording. The sound quality could be a bit sharper, but the playing by Teresi and his band (featuring Dee Teresi on drums and vocals, Mark Chosak on guitar, Tony Isabel on bass, and the very prominent Cesar Garcia on sax and flute) is (almost) all at once lush, feisty, cool, melodic, and funky. "Too Good To Be True" balances Garcia's colorful melody and improvisations with Isabel's throbbing bass and the increasingly energetic piano excursions of the leader." Teresi's banter with the audience informs them that the band is opening with a taste of L.A. before going on a playful journey to laid-back Jamaica ("S.S. Dub") and (driven by the crazy percussion of Howee Duzzit) a fiery trip to Latin America (the seductive vocal tune "I'm Free"). "Pingo Landia" has a light Latin candlelight vibe, with Teresi's tender piano harmonies filling the spaces between the sax. This is a band that should do more recordings for the leader's label.