Artist: Biorhythm

Date of Release: 20/01/2008

Catalogue no: ARCD 1001

Label: Actone Records

Price: £10

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Track Listing

Bob Martin (Sax)
Alan Berry (Keyboards)
Val Mannix (Bass)
Don Burrell (drums)

Reviews

01/10/2008 Derek Ansell - Jazz Journal

This set is another testament to the ongoing durability of Charlie Parker's bop, first heard in some sort of completely assembled form around 1944. Alotist Martin has a fat ripe sound on alto and his lines recall Sonny Stitt and, to a lesser extent Parker himself. The selections call to mind the Bird, as he liked nothing better than to work his magic on items like Out Of Nowhere & his own composition Barbados. The rest of the material is made up of solid standards, except for the one original, also the name of the group Biorhythm.
The playing here is straight ahead with the leader's bop inflected alto, some driving Powellish piano and a tough rhythm team. The leader's alto sound is just slightly rounded and softened here, as though he sought to court listeners not yet attuned to the burgeoning thrust of hard bop at it's most uncompromising. The spirit and fire of the music is represented on these thrusting selections and the recording is very good; it doesn't happen too often but here the front line instruments have a bright presence and piano, bass & drums are reproduced with striking fidelity. Even the shimmering hiss of the cymbals sounds natural, other recording engineers please copy.
No need to worry about music like this, played like this: it will still sound as fresh and unforced in 50 years time as it does today