1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great young trumpeter, deserves a wider audience, February 6, 2004
This review is from: Smokingunn (Audio CD)
Russell Gunn is a musician who is willing to take risks. He straddles straight ahead releases like "Smokin' Gunn" with more experimental hip-hop/funk influenced stuff in his Ethnomusicology series.
Russell Gunn is a skillfull trumpeter with a bright tone and fleet lines. He's ably supported on this album by folks like Marc Cary. I dig the cover of Coltrane's "Crescent". It's nice to hear this dark, lyrical tune interpreted by a trumpet. Likewise, "Delfeayo's Dilemma" gets a blistering workout that holds up to Kenny Garrett's version on "Trilogy". The originals hold up well and I dig the beautiful ballad "Yvette". This album is definitely post bop and seems to fit into Freddie Hubbard's more modal stuff like "Ready for Freddie" or Hubbard's sideman work with Wayne Shorter with occasional modern touches like the funky bridge to the straight ahead "The Beeach".
I'm sure Russell Gunn is not as familiar to followers of current jazz trends as Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove or Nicholas Payton, but on the basis of this album he definitely deserves to be.
4 stars
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
