Marty Ehrlich's Rites Quartet, Frog Leg Logic

[CraigP]

Marty Ehrlich’s Rites Quartet, Frog Leg Logic

Clean Feed

Marty Ehrlich – Alto and Soprano Saxophones, Flute

James Zollar - Trumpet

Hank Roberts - Cello

Michael Sarin – Drums

Marty Ehrlich is one of those unsung heros of modern jazz. He’s been a great player for years, but doesn’t seem to enjoy a consistently high profile. Other alto players, most notably Steve Lehman and Rudresh Mahanthappa, have gotten a lot of press in recent years. Ehrlich made a series of excellent albums for Enja in the nineties and early aughts, but I sometimes yearned for him to break loose a little more; he could be tasteful to a fault.

I’ve lost track of what he’s been up to most recently, but he’s made a strong statement with Frog Leg Logic. The record is a perfect balance of memorable melodies, all by Ehrlich, with solos that straddle the inside and the outside. Ehrlich being Ehrlich, the blues is never far away in his sound. James Zollar is another under-recognized player who is excellent throughout, and it’s great to hear Hank Roberts' funky cello again. Michael Sarin is another name I don’t see quite as often as I did a few years ago, but he provides the drive and the nuance as needed.

If you’re a fan of mainstream-modern playing, you’ll like this. If you’re a fan of the avant-garde, you’ll like this.

Edited May 14, 2012 by CraigP

[jlhoots]

Yes - very nice.

[Joe]

IMO, Ehrlich's recordings are, without fail, always worth an audition. This one is especially strong.

[king ubu]

Sounds interesting!

And you might be interested in "Things Have Got to Change" by the same band (except for Erik Friedlander on cello and the great Pheeroan akLaff on drums) on the same label. I mean, who else covers "Dogon A.D."!?

[CraigP]

I mean, who else covers "Dogon A.D."!?

Just listened to that yesterday. That's a tall order.

[relyles]

This is near the top of my want list. I heard Sarin Friday night with Michael Bates' Acrobat.

[jostber]

His "Fables" album from 2010 is also a great one.