Winard Harper - A Time For The Soul (2003)

Listening to this release from drummer Winard Harper's group, it is very easy and logical to think of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. The music is mostly straight-ahead hard bop, and even overlooking Bobby Timmons' "Dat Dere" (which is straight from Blakey's repertoire), most of the cuts are very much in the same style. Trumpeter Patrick Rickman is a fine player influenced by Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard; Brian Horton contributes some excellent saxophone solos, and pianist Jeb Patton excels quite well in the modern mainstream setting. The biggest surprises are an instrumental medium-tempo version of "Here's to Life," and a couple percussion features. Fans of straight-ahead jazz will easily enjoy this fine effort. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Savant Records, SCD 2048, 2003
Recorded 3rd January, 2003 at Leon Dorsey Studios, New York City 

Musicians:
Winard Harper - Drums
Patrick Rickman - Trumpet
Brian Horton - Soprano & Tenor Saxophones
Jeb Patton - Piano
Ameen Saleem - Bass
Kevin Jones - Percussion
Scott Harper - Auxiliary Percussion (#7) 

Tracks:
01. Soul Time {Winard Harper, Graham Parker} (5:48)
02. Mr. Baggy Pants {Winard Harper} (5:50)
03. Here's To Life {Artie Butler, Phyllis Molinary} (6:32)
04. Dat Dere {Oscar Brown, Jr., Bobby Timmons} (9:54)
05. About Face {Michael Hedges} (4:23)
06. When The Time Is Right {Winard Harper} (5:12)
07. All Praise To G-D {Winard Harper} (4:05)
08. Alone Together {Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz} (6:01)
09. Catanya {R. Brown} (4:56)
10. Glorify {Winard Harper} (6:14) 

Total Time: 59:01 

Credits:
Producer - Winard Harper
Executive Producer - Joe Fields
Engineer - David Baker
Assistant Engineer - Leon Lee Dorsey
Photography - Udo Spreitzenbarth
Design - Keiji Obata, Peter Muller [Littlefield & Company]