Organist {|Mike LeDonne|} has built upon the tradition of {|soul-jazz|} organ/tenor sax combos of the 1960s and 1970s on this delightful CD that was recorded at {|Smoke|} in New York City. Joined by tenor saxophonist {|Eric Alexander|} and guitarist ... Read more

Organist {|Mike LeDonne|} has built upon the tradition of {|soul-jazz|} organ/tenor sax combos of the 1960s and 1970s on this delightful CD that was recorded at {|Smoke|} in New York City. Joined by tenor saxophonist {|Eric Alexander|} and guitarist {|Peter Bernstein|} (both of whom worked extensively in similar groups), along with drummer {|Joe Farnsworth|}, {|LeDonne|} gets things going with an extended workout of {|the Spinners|}' {|Could It Be I'm Falling in Love|} that allows for plenty of fine blowing. The late organist {|Charles Earland|} provides plenty of fireworks, while {|Duke Pearson|}'s bittersweet {|Idle Moments|} is drenched in emotion in a slow, tantalizing rendition. {|LeDonne|}'s {|Prayer for Mary|} is dedicated to his young daughter, who experienced a difficult birth and suffers from a rare medical condition. The introduction reveals the composer's anxiety at the time, while the body of the piece turns uptempo and reflects a spiritual influence, with his chords providing the congregational response to the sermons by {|Bernstein|} and {|Alexander|} in turn. The guitarist's slow, sassy {|blues|} {|Bones|} also merits strong praise. Recommended. ~ Ken Dryden Less