Milwaukee native
Fred Horn is an unabashed admirer of bop, a preference reflected in most of what one hears on this album. A mature player, his clear improvised solos never completely discard the melody line as on "Scrapple From Apple," a performance that recalls those fine bop groups from the late '50s and early '60s. For his own compositions,
Horn takes a somewhat different turn on "Free Freddy" as he moves closer to free jazz, à la
Ornette Coleman. Here Barry Velleman's piano hacks out the tonal path as
Horn, Rick Kremer, and Mike Schlick follow along making suggestions now and then on different directions the route might take. This is the most exciting cut on the album. Like all bop players,
Horn can swing and he uses his variation on a classic bop tune to show it, calling it "A Nitie Gown in Tunisia." The musical palette gets a further shuffle with a ballad rendition of "When You Fall in Love." The other classic standard, "Invitation," is done at a quick pace with Velleman's piano playing a major role.
Horn's sound and style resemble that of Joe Henderson's as he employs a similar methodical intensity toward the theme of each tune he performs. He and the group also take the time to carefully examine each detail every song has to offer as demonstrated on a classic improvisation over and around the melody line on "Invitation."
Relaxin' in Milwaukee, while bop based, offers a melange of musical scenarios created by a group highly motivated by the play list selected for the session. This is a hip, entertaining album and is recommended. ~ Dave Nathan