Brad Leali - Claus Raible Quartet: Puddin' Time

A single low note played by pianist Claus Raible opens this old-school styled gospel jazz number. Seconds later, Brad Leali's alto sax begins a mesmerizing sermon divinely inspired by the almighty Charlie Parker via his disciple Hank Mobley. Brad's bellowing is enhanced by the kind of highly reverberant miking seldom heard since the salad days of Blue Note records. It's a mystery to me why that's so, especially considering how convincingly it brings out Leali's soul-drenched lines. When drummer Alvester Garnett launches into his mini-solo, its thunder summons the ghost of Art Blakey. All told, "Puddin' Time" conjures up a 1950s late-night jam session at a Manhattan nightclub. In other words, an image of jazz at its purest.