Tribute (feat. Kenny Barron, Rufus Reid & Carl Allen)

Jazz’s legacy is littered with legends. Tenor/soprano saxophonist Tim Hegarty knows this, having studied with such masters as Frank Foster, George Coleman, and Jimmy Heath and playing behind Gil Evans and Dizzy Gillespie, among others. Here—joined by pianist Kenny Barron, drummer Carl Allen, bassist Rufus Reid, and friend and vibraphonist Mark Sherman (who also produces the album)—Hegarty is lucky enough to be in the driver seat of a jazz Ferrari, and he steps on the gas for this solo debut. He channels the ringing chords and ascending saxophone lines of A Love Supreme–era Coltrane on a standout version of Frank Foster’s “Simone.” He takes four Heath tunes for a spin, playing softly (in the Dexter Gordon tradition) on “A New Blue” and doing justice to the uptempo “Gingerbread Boy.” Hegarty also includes such originals as the simmering “Not to Worry” and the dancing “Low Profile,” which could refer the leader himself but ironically features solos from his sidemen. It’s a debut that Hegarty can walk away from holding his head high.