Sterling Place All-Stars

Performer: Vincent Herring
Engineer: Lou Holtzman
Producer: Vincent Herring; Carl Allen
Distributor: City Hall

Notes: /Ronnie Mathews/Richie Goods/Carl Allen. Personnel: Vincent Herring (soprano & alto saxophones); Ronnie Matthews (piano); Richie Goods (bass); Carl Allen (drums). Recorded at East Side Sound, New York, New York on July 7 & 8, 1998. Includes liner notes by Linda Presgrave. Personnel: Vincent Herring (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Ronnie Mathews (piano); Carl Allen (drums). Liner Note Author: Linda Presgrave. Recording information: East Side Sound, New York, NY (07/07/1998/07/08/1998). At Sterling Place and Flatbush in Brooklyn, NY, the seeds for this quartet of jazz experts were planted, and the rich, ripe fruit grown to make up this CD. Alto and soprano saxophonist Vincent Herring, pianist Ronnie Mathews, bassist Richie Goods, and drummer Carl Allen are the all-stars, and they collectively romp through seven numbers ranging from modal and swinging mainstream to bop, and a ballad, all played precisely, tastefully, and rhythmically spirited as you'd expect. Herring continues his predilection toward bop with an edge, but he sounds like himself, not Bird. Mathews is a thoroughly educated and experienced player, able to play any style well, while Goods and Allen are fine listeners and improvisers. There are three pretty good swingers, the groove-inflected "Sweet & Lovely," the harder Wes Montgomery tune "S.O.S.," and the closer, Mathews original "John Charles" with a singingly tuneful bass-piano unison line. The heavy modal original of Mathews "Salima's Dance" is reprised from an original recording of Mathews on Beehive records, quite Coltrane-Tyner like with some rock 'em-sock 'em punchy piano outlays and Herring's soaring alto. The Most imaginative takes are Allen's original ballad in 5/4, "Alternative Thoughts" with Herring playing his lone track on soprano, and a tender, light samba inflected version of Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood." The arrangement of the standard "Summer Night" is also notable for its original chart, beginning with a peculiarly enchanting tension in the intro before digging into the swing that one is used to hearing. Initially the group is predictable, exploiting a format of head-alto solo-piano solo-tail, but mix it up a bit more as the CD rolls on. This is a fine jazz combo and album from A to Z, and hopefully not a one shot because all the participants keep quite busy with other bands and their own. They're on the verge of sterling silver from the outset. ~ Michael G. Nastos

JazzTimes (5/00, p.192) - "...If you crave swinging blow-outs from A-one, bop-influenced teams, you can't go astray [with this]...representing a satisfying survey of modern saxophone playing....a rhythmically challenging and diverse affair..."

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