Tim Mayer - Resilience (Jazz Legacy Productions, 2011)

Boston based tenor saxophonist Tim Meyer must have a great enjoyment for the trumpet, because he peppers his new album with compositions and dedications related to some famous trumpet players of the past and present. He is accompanied by a core group of George Cables on piano, Derzon Douglas on bass and Willie Jones III on drums. Also joining him are a raft of special guests on trumpet, trombone, and other instruments. Opening with the dedicated track “For Miles," the quartet is joined by saxophonist Michael Dease for a swinging medium tempo performance, right down the center of the mainstream jazz continuum. I was please to see the band cover one of my favorite musicians, Charles Tolliver, adding a woodwind trio along with trumpet and trombones to create a lush and vibrant version of “Emperor March." “Dance of the Infidels" is credited to the great trumpeter Fats Navarro which was interesting to me, because I have so long associated the song with Bud Powell. Regardless, it's a fine version with the band plus Dease navigating the tricky melody with grace and improvising well, making for a memorable performance. Thelonious Monk's knotty “Work" is also given a fine run-through, with Cables sounding particularly ebullient as he does on his original “Klimo," the set ending closer. This was a well done mainstream jazz album with an interesting selection of compositions. The addition of guests keeps the format of the music fresh and the musicians perform at an admirable level. Resilience—amazon.com