Bridges

Bridges is John Hart's second release as a leader for Concord, but the young guitarist's first with his true working quartet (saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Bill Moring and drummer Andy Watson, with whom Hart has been performing for the past five years). Though Hart and Potter are certainly adequate and inventive soloists and the rhythm section proves deftly sympathetic, nothing ever really seems to catch fire in even one of these ten tracks. There's little doubt that new originals such as "Private Eyes" and "Urban Appalachia" are commendable for their taste and sense of reflective jam. And you really can't argue with the selection of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "It Might As Well Be Spring," Johnny Mandel's standard "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Zingaro" as cover versions. It's not that Bridges is bad, because it's not; it's very competently played and full of jazzy, tasteful bop, post-bop and modern chops. It's just that Bridges never seems to build any intensity, and that there's so much music that's equally if not more interesting being made out there.