Les Arbuckle - No More No Les

'It's unusual for someone to wait until he is in his forties to record his first date as a leader, but tenor saxophonist Les Arbuckle's postponed debut is worth the wait. This 1993 session finds the veteran educator accompanied by two very familiar names: pianist Kenny Barron (seemingly nearly everyone's first-call pianist during the 1990s) and bassist Cecil McBee, along with drummer John Ramsay, a friend when both were teaching at Berklee during the 1970s. While post-bop dominates the CD, there are variations. The mournful dirge-like opening duet with McBee's arco bass in "Prelude and Groove" segues into the street-parade-like funk of the main body of the piece, while the brisk treatment of Mal Waldron's great ballad "Soul Eyes" blends hard bop with a Latin-flavored rhythm. Other highlights include his hard-blowing interpretation of Cole Porter's "It's Alright With Me" and the leader's loping late-night blues "Emily's Hot Bath." '

- Ken Dryden (All Music Guide)

Tracklist
1. Prelude And Groove (1st)
2. Prelude And Groove (2nd)
3. No More No Les
4. Black And White
5. It's All Right With Me
6. Emily's Hot Bath
7. Real Surf Music
8. Blues Ridge
9. Soul Eyes
10. Evie

2-AQM-1019