Short Stories

Affiliations with major labels have made Dave Koz and Warren Hill much more visible, but definitely in the running for the top echelon of Sanborn influenced alto saxmen who can switch effortlessly to soprano is Lincoln Adler, whose second disc, Short Stories is a definite revelation. Adler proves adept at playing in all styles, from swinging reggae (the swinging, swaying "Red's Dreads") to straight ahead on Horace Silver's "Song For My Father," which features a nifty repartee with actor Jeff Goldblum's avante garde piano solos. Adler also shows an affinity for great pop vocal writing with "Love Me Down Slowly," and even creates a sense of newfound urgency on covers of MOR pop hits like "Can't Let Go" and "Change the World." Last but not least, he is a remarkably adept keyboardist, infusing blues into the Eric Clapton hit with a rich synth generated B-3 flavor and using his rack to fire up explosive, well placed "horn sections".