Sherman Irby - Faith

Altoist Sherman Irby sounds quite comfortable with the trio that he uses on Faith (percussionist Khalil Kwame Bell is just on one number), but that is not surprising. The four musicians were longtime sidemen in The Roy Hargrove Quintet and, by 2004, they were a very tight outfit. Performing eight Irby originals, an obscurity, and "Wave," the musicians are all in excellent form. Chances are good that none of the altoist's tunes will catch on as future standards, though most have viable chord changes, but that should not stop fans of modern straight-ahead jazz from picking up this excellent and fairly creative CD. Read More