Search - Bud Shank :: Sunshine Express

Hop aboard for a good ride

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 07/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was Bud Shank's first Concord album, his first recording in about 6 years, and one that brought him back from the depths of semi-pop nonsense to a solid jazz footing. Tune selection, all originals except for HOW'S THAT RAINY DAY, is superb. Bud contributes two songs, and both are attractive and memorable. SUNSHINE EXPRESS contains a repetitive pattern that reminded me of Miles Davis's SEVEN STEPS TO HEAVEN; Bud is on alto and the performance generates a tremendous amount of swing. His other composition, C'EST WHAT, is medium-up, and contains excellent solos by Mike Wofford on piano and Bobby Shew on flugelhorn. Mike Wofford wrote the other tunes, all good, with NO. 10 SHUFFLE perhaps being the best. JOHN C. no doubt refers to Coltrane, and the tune obviously has an affinity to Trane's Atlantic period. Bud is on alto here and takes a good solo. He plays flute on only two tracks, the best being on HORIZON, where the harmonics of the tune are thoroughly explored, and he takes a robust solo to boot. This is a very enjoyable CD and continues to delight after repeated listenings."