A quartet album - tenor sax, piano, double bass and drums. Pianist Andy LaVerne leads. Heroes McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea are suggested in some tune titles. Saxist Ben Solomon is very Wayne Shorter-like most clearly on 'Wistful Thinking.'
New Yorker LaVerne has a discography that goes back to 1976. A release last year found him on saxophonist Tim Lin's Empathy in a setting that included Billy Drummond. And while LaVerne has recorded for other labels, his work also goes back to the 1970s with Danish label SteepleChase where he continues that long relationship here.
Solomon's best soloing is on 'Bassline' where his approach on this pleasurable release differs and he starts edging more towards the Coltrane sound. On 'Solace' the sticks on cymbals sound of Jason Tiemann inspire thoughts of the stickmanship of Jeff Williams.
The bass player on Spot On is Mike Richmond who, like LaVerne, was on Stan Getz album Another World released in 1978. Richmond wrote gorgeous ballad 'Anna'. The Spot On album title itself owes its origins to when Richmond says ''that was spot on'' at the end of the LaVerne tune of the same name. Andy LaVerne, photo: via YouTube/MyMusic Masterclass
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