Don Braden - Contemporary Standards Ensemble

Saxophonist Don Braden leads a sextet on this unusual outing. Together with alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist George Colligan, bassist Richie Goods, and drummer Ralph Peterson, Braden reinterprets contemporary standards -- i.e., pop songs -- in a jazz vein, much like Herbie Hancock did on his 1995 album The New Standard. Four of the tracks, however, are band originals, three by Braden, one by Goods. The reworked pop material includes "The Closer I Get to You" by Donny Hathaway, "Feel Like Making Love" by Roberta Flack, "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder, and, most ambitiously, "Kid Charlemagne" by Steely Dan, which works quite well as a swinging improv vehicle. Read More