That Goes To Show Ya!

The talented but obscure Dave Murdy showed some promise on That Goes to Show Ya!, a decent, if conventional, hard bop date employing alto saxophonist Eric Marienthal, bassist Art Davis, pianist Peggy Duquesnel, and drummer Kevin Tulius. When this little-known CD was recorded in 1990, Marienthal was a member of Chick Corea's fusion-oriented Elektric Band, but the altoist wasn't with Corea's straight-ahead Akoustik Band, so it was interesting to hear him in a bop setting for a change. Marienthal rises to the occasion on John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" and Wayne Shorter's "Yes or No" as well as Murdy's groovin', Wes Montgomery-ish title song. The clean-sounding Murdy, meanwhile, is tastefully swinging -- he has the chops, but he doesn't beat you over the head with them. The guitarist shows how lyrical he can be on "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" and his relaxed "Song for Peg." Unfortunately, That Goes to Show Ya! went out of print when Time Is Records (a small jazz label out of San Diego) folded several years after its release. But it's worth picking up if you're able to find a now-rare copy.