2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Genial hard bop trumpet, not a lot of surprises though..., June 6, 2006
This review is from: Hoop Dreams (Audio CD)
This is very much the familiar Criss Cross hard-bop date--some nice, if not too ear-catching, originals, some Monk, some picks from the less-travelled corners of the standards book (only "Old Folks" is anything like a frequently played tune). Magnarelli is an eloquent if slightly bland trumpeter/fluegelhornist, with enviably rounded chops; I found myself most often listening to the excellent rhythm section: bassist Paul Gill and drummer Tony Reedus keep the time-feel supple & grooving, but it's pianist Gary Versace who really grabs the ear, with an ear for unexpected harmonic and rhythmic angles. Peter Bernstein turns up to contribute guitar on a few tracks, notably the two ballad duets on Monk's "Ask Me Now" and "Monk's Mood". A solid, if not outstanding album--I think I'll be hunting down some of Versace's own projects in future, though (he's more usually an organist, incidentally).
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