Jerry Bergonzi has long been an important part of the New England jazz scene, while he may very well be better appreciated in Europe than in his homeland. This 1989 concert features the powerful tenor saxophonist stretching out on each of the five selections, backed by the driving, equally inventive pianist
Mulgrew Miller, bassist
Dave Santoro, and drummer
Adam Nussbaum. Starting with a roaring extended workout of
Joe Henderson's "Inner Urge" that equals the fire of the studio version recorded by its composer with
McCoy Tyner, the quartet quickly switches gears for a heartfelt, expressive rendition of the standard "Everything Happens to Me." The disc concludes with three strong originals by the leader, with the brisk, breezy Latin-flavored "On the Brink" sounding like it is descended from
Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee." This is one of many excellent recordings in
Jerry Bergonzi's vast discography. ~ Ken Dryden