Rhapsody

An excellent bop-based tenor saxophonist based in New York, Paul Kendall has recorded several worthy CDs for small labels, starting in the late '90s. For this set, he is heard at the head of three overlapping quartets that have Matthew Fries or Tim Regusis on piano, bassist Dave Jackson and Skip Scott or Alvester Garnett on drums. In addition to Fries' "Retro," the set consists of eight jazz standards, including a few songs (Cedar Walton's "Firm Roots" and Horace Silver's "Barbara") that are not exactly overplayed. Kendall's warm and forceful tone, plus his ability to think quickly, are major assets throughout this fine straight-ahead date.