Baritone saxophonist
Ronnie Cuber is an alum of many bands since arriving in New York City in the mid-'60s, including stints with
George Benson,
Woody Herman,
Lionel Hampton, and
the Mingus Big Band, though the big-toned reed player has recorded sporadically as a leader. This is his fourth CD for Steeplechase and one of his best sessions, featuring pianist
Helen Sung (who replaced
Kenny Drew, Jr. after his departure), fellow
Mingus Big Band sideman
Boris Kozlov on bass, plus drummer
Jonathan Blake.
Cuber's approach to his instrument incorporates both the gruffness of
Pepper Adams and the lyricism of
Gerry Mulligan in a style that is comfortably his own. Six of the ten tracks are jazz compositions, including
Scott LaFaro's superb yet rarely recorded "Gloria's Step," which also showcases
Sung and
Koslov along with the leader.
Cuber's blustery yet loping take of
Dave Brubeck's "The Duke" almost seems to sing, while the quartet negotiates two demanding bop vehicles (
Clifford Brown's "Daahoud" and
Charlie Parker's "Ah Leu Cha") with finesse. The heartfelt treatment of
Michel Legrand's "Theme from Summer of '42" (also known as "The Summer Knows") and the buoyant, playful setting of
Richard Rodgers' "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" bring new light to these familiar standards.