Search - Sonny Criss :: Beat Goes on

Notable

Swing King | Cincinnati, OH USA | 04/29/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When I think of great alto saxophonists, I think of performers like Paul Desmond, Eric Dolphy or Sonny Criss. This 1968 Prestige Records release was remastered at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley California by Kirk Felton in 2000, the sound quality easy on the ears and crystal clear. The rhythm section of Bob Cranshaw (bass), Cedar Walton (piano) and Alan Dawson (drums) does a wonderful job backing "West Coast" Sonny.



Criss particularly stands out due to his blues-laced horn and interesting phrasings, with Cedar Walton standing out amongst the sidemen most on these tracks. On "Calidad" Walton breaks off into a romping solo sure to get you toe-tapping in no time, and "Yesterdays" takes a moment to show-off Criss's dexterous abilities and once again showcases some wonderful piano work from Walton. All around this is a great album to own and belongs in jazz collections everywhere.



Personnel:

Sonny Criss (alto saxophone)

Cedar walton (piano)

Bob Cranshaw (bass)

Alan Dawson (drums)

"

A nice date

N. Dorward | Toronto, ON Canada | 10/22/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This 1968 date finds Sonny Criss tackling a kenspeckle batch of material that includes everything from "Yesterdays" to "Ode to Billie Joe" & "The Beat Goes On". The title-track is the standout, with a relaxed, spacious groove that rolls on for seven minutes without a hitch--great stuff. The band's a good one, with Cedar Walton, Bob Cranshaw & the great Alan Dawson performing smoothly & in complete sympathy with the leader. The album's let down a bit by the unsubtle studio sound, which makes Walton's piano sound rather harsh & clunky, but it's not bad, & anyone who's interested in Criss will find this a worthwhile purchase. Like most Prestige albums it's short measure at 33 minutes--caveat emptor--but it's a good album nonetheless."