Russ Nolan: Naima

When I see a Coltrane cover on a self-produced CD, I usually want to run and hide. I would rather listen to the Nicholas Slonimsky thesaurus of scales played on kazoo. At least that would be a change. But wait, these guys can play, and they don't just imitate old Impulse records. Kenny Werner and cohorts mesh brilliantly in the rhythm section, achieving a light swinging sound that serves as an effective underpinning to Nolan's fluid sax work. No copycats here, just smart playing by a top-notch quartet.