Search - Nat Simpkins :: Cresent City

Tenor saxophonist Nat Simpkins brings his Bluejay Records machine down to New Orleans for his latest offering, "Crescent City". Simpkins has that big Texas Tenor sound tempered by a touch of Southern hospitality. Add in the relaxed atmosphere of the Big Easy, and guest appearances by some of the hottest modern day New Orleans players around, and the recipe produces a spicy stew that lives up to the otherwise cliche of jazz as a rich New Orleans gumbo. Nat has been visiting New Orleans for a few years now, and he always has felt right at home. The southern culture fits with his Bermuda roots, and in the Crescent City the music is in the air, on the streets, and anywhere you look. On this latest visit, he went in to the recording studio for sessions that the vocalist Henri Smith helped arrange with local musicians. (Henri's album, "New Orleans Friends and Flavours" from these sessions is also being released on Bluejay.) The rhythm section is the basis of all fine recordings, and the section here cooks. Nat's Bluejay cohort Cecil Brooks III is along for the ride, and with his drums he brings a colorful palette of polyphony into the mix. Local musicians Peter Martin on piano and Roland Guerin on bass (from Nicholas Payton's band among other New Orleans credits) join Brooks. While it is the first time that they played together, they immediately jelled with a power and sophistication that match Cecil's New York collaborations. ! Some of the tunes feature Simpkins alone in front of this rhythm section, but the album doesn't stop right there. The date also includes New Orleans stalwarts Anthony Tuba Fats Lacen, Kermit Ruffins, and Jason Marsalis. From album notes by Sid Gribetz