Max Wagner is an eloquent and accomplished tenor saxophonist.  His sound is open, colorful, and warm; beautiful, yet powerful and driving on up-tempos.  A very lyrical and melodic player, he draws primarily from his own vocabulary. His approach echoes the bopology of Sonny Stitt, with a Stan Getzian tonal clarity, and a Dexter Gordon-like swagger.  These facets are well displayed in Wagner’s beguiling and poetic reading of the opener here, “Isfahan”, from the Ellington/Strayhorn “Far East Suite”.

 

 

On Soprano saxophone, Wagner eschews the pitfalls of the straight horn, playing with a full, rich, truly saxophonic sound.  At times beautiful, as on the Bobby Hutcherson waltz, “Little B’s Poem”, and at other times trumpet-like and mercurial as on the quartet’s crackling performance of “A Night In Tunisia”.

 

The Jobim classic, “Dindi”, and the dramatic Burke/Van Heusen ballad, “But Beautiful”, receive expansive performances here, as does the challenging Sonny Stitt up-tempo classic “Eternal Triangle”.  The performances of pianist Jeff Jenkins, bassist Ken Walker and drummer Todd Reid are stellar throughout the CD.  Jenkins contributes compelling and dynamic piano solos, distinctive, and unfailingly imaginative throughout.  Walker provides the kind of highly musical and creative bass lines and inspiring solos that make everyone around him a better musician. The irrepressible and creative Todd Reid displays the kind of subtle flair for accompanying others that one must be born with, and the fiery soloing that all percussionists aspire to.