During his career as a sideman, drummer
Gary Husband's brand of jazz fusion is not quite the recipe for this cooking set of neo-bop music. Using an African approach similar to that of
Ginger Baker,
Husband swings differently than others as his quartet rips through this set of originals that might very well have fit into the repertoire of
Art Blakey or
Max Roach. Trumpeter Richard Turner and saxophonist
Julian Siegel make formidable front line partners as they quickly zip thorough an edited, modified "Take the Coltrane Around," or mold a melody around
Husband's polyrhythmic but still swinging drumming during "The Defender." The leader also plays some pretty piano on this date, proving he's a musician's musician for a recording that should garner some considerable and worthy attention. ~ Michael G. Nastos