Although tenor saxophonist John Gunther sometimes plays more modern music, his
Big Lunage is a superior set of straight-ahead hard bop. Teamed in a quintet with trumpeter
Greg Gisbert, Gunther is in particularly fine form on his blues with a bridge "Gnuble Doze,"
Eric Gunnison's modal original "Echoes," the wistful ballad "An Old Haunt," and a fiery "Beceeted." Actually all nine songs, which also include the melodic "Robynsong" and the title cut (which has the group sounding a bit like
Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers), are well worth hearing. This lesser-known release is easily recommended. ~ Scott Yanow