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KENNY DREW JR.
“Kenny Drew Jr.”
Antilles
* * * *
Here is an auspicious debut by an artist who is equally talented as a pianist and composer. Drew Jr. is the son and namesake of the veteran be-bop pianist who was a high-profile member of the New York jazz community in the ‘50s and ‘60s.
Unlike his father, who was rooted in the bop tradition epitomized by Bud Powell, Drew Jr. is more eclectic in approach, reflecting such disparate influences as Bill Evans and Thelonious Monk. The leader pays tribute by performing a lovely solo version of “Monk’s Mood” and includes two tunes by Evans, as well as his own, “This One’s for Bill.”
Wallace Roney on trumpet and Ralph Moore on tenor saxophone, two most distinctive modernists, fill out some quintet tracks, playing in a lively post-hard-bop vein. Drew Jr. also shines on some trio selections that spotlight bass great George Mraz and drummer Al Foster.
New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four (excellent). A rating of five stars is reserved for classic reissues or retrospectives.
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