The Tunes
- Gentle Breeze
A light jazz/rock tune by James Bazen and featuring smooth piano and soprano sax solos. - Frenzy
A “bop until you drop” original featuring aggressive solos by Bazen, Mike Davis, Mark Cook, and Steve Larrance. - Afternoon Of A Cat
A comfortable funk tune dedicated to Bazen’s fat white cat Kiri. - Time Again
A Mike Davis original steeped in the Blue Note tradition. - Stranger Things
A daring jazz rocker with a screaming sax solo by Bazen, a flashy keyboard solo by Cook, and a wild trumpet solo by Davis. - I Thought About You
A beautiful rendition of this jazz standard featuring Mike Davis. - Monks Of The Castle
A mystic musical journey that starts with Gregorian chant and progresses to a rocking conclusion.
Reviews
…Beneath the mild-mannered exteriors beats the soul of the Blakey-Silver tradition, a rough and tumble side expressed in “Frenzy.”
– Chuck Berg, Contemporary Currents Jazz Times, February 1994
I feel we will be hearing a lot from and about this East Coast-based talent. The date offers some fast hard swing to a soft funk-rock. The title track is an electronic funk.
– Lee Carson California Jazz Now, September 1993
Not a Strange Thing at all…Liked “Monks of The Castle” and “Gentle Breeze.”
– W.O.B.O. 88.7 Cincinnati, Ohio
Good selection and good sounds…”I Thought About You” is really nice with Mike Davis’ flugalhorn. The title track is good – Bazen is very talented…
– Jack Simpson Jack Simpson’s Jazz On The Beach Florida
Allmusic.com has great reviews!
Personnel
James Bazen: soprano, alto, tenor saxes, flute and recorder
Mike Davis: trumpet and flugal horn
Mark Cook: keyboards and piano
Ward Harris: acoustic and electric bass
Steve Larrance: drums