Review by Michael G. Nastos

In case you haven't heard, Nozero is the finest mainstream jazz alto saxophonist to come out of Detroit since Charles McPherson. His flowing, lyrical lines focus on ultra-melodic elements without sounding schmaltzy, nostalgic, or copied. He's a true original, using equal parts of smooth Stan Getz, biting Art Pepper and fleet Charlie Parker euphonics, exploiting them in this live concert setting to the max while avoiding overkill. Pianist Terry Lower wrote four of these seven cuts, and proves not only a capable composer, but a fine player. Bassist Ray Tini and drummer Jim Ryan round out the core quartet, while trumpeter Rob Smith (who doubles on tenor sax, but left it at home for this gig, too bad) is an equally tuneful foil for Nozero's tonic notions. Of the originals "Simple Solutions" exemplifies the centerpiece melodicism, a mid-tempo swing that is the saxophonist's comfort zone, while using occasional honks and Bird-like take-offs in his solo. "You Never Know" is a marvelously soulful, understate waltz, "Step by Step" a hot samba to bopper, while "Time to Whine" is a groove biscuit accented by Smith's unison lines with Nozero. You'll hear one of the most unique spirited arrangements of "Harlem Nocturne" ever conceived, sporting a modal, Afro-Cuban theme powered by Smith and Lower, moving to effortless, easy swing and back over 12+ minutes. Smith is wailin', Nozero approaching his feverishness. Of course there's stark romanticism in Nozero's warm blood, heard on the serene waltz "Somewhere" as you hear most definitively, Nozero's expressive, expansive extrovertism, particularly on his solo while the ballad closer "Laura" is languid to the nth degree with Smith's solo again setting the tone. Rob Smith is the real sleeper here, an excellent musician the jazz world should pay further attention to. The core unit is a working band, and it shows, especially via the mercurial drumming of Jim Ryan. Nozero has several other recordings out (most featuring his equally fine flute playing), but this clearly is his best, and perhaps bodes well for a second volume being released, since he's played at practically every one of the twenty Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festivals.

Jim Dulzo, January 26, 2000

A lot of people have been waiting for this disk for a long time. Despite a half-dozen previous recordings, this is the first time Larry Nozero has put a live performance out there. We finally get a permanent record of just how exciting and brilliant the Larry Nozero Quartet is when it's performing in front of a live audience. Get ready for more of the beautiful melodies, bright fire, deep emotion, great taste and seemingly boundless, makes-it-sound-easy facility that the band's many fans have come to expect, and that, over the past fifteen or so years, has kept this group semi- permanently ensconced at some of the city's top spots.

Continued...

Sound Judgment by Mark Stryker,
Free Press Music Writer

Anyone attending the Detroit International Jazz Festival (formerly Montreux) in recent years knows that Detroit alto saxophonist Larry Nozero's bands have shamed many groups fronted by national stars. This CD, compiled from festival appearances in 1997 and '99, reminds us how they've done it: They present tightly organized sets; emphasize pianist Terry Lower's original songs, whose engaging structures force soloists to think without turning each tune into a music theory lesson; and create a sympathetic context for Nozero's fetching tone, as juicy as a ripe plum, and his supple improvisations, full of fresh melody and communicative phrasings. Trumpeter Rob Smith makes his presence felt on several tunes, with electric bassist Ray Tini and drummer Jim Ryan filling out the band. Tini plays the right notes, but I miss the more idiomatic acoustic bass, especially because the sound here is boomier than ideal. Still, this is one of our most satisfying local groups.

-- by Mark Stryker, Free Press Music Writer