Quartet in Concert

Album Review

Since recording a couple of splendid recordings for ESP in the 1960s, alto saxophonist Noah Howard drifted into relative oblivion (although he recorded a couple of good, but hard-to-find, LPs in the mid-1970s for FMP). His music is characterized by a certain earthiness that allows him to successfully combine blues, free, and hard bop elements in an attractive blend. The same cannot be said for his vocals, of which the less said the better. Still, this live set recorded at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam is a welcome addition to Howard's discography, as it offers lots of solo Howard on saxophone, backed by a rhythm section spearheaded by the outstanding pianist Bobby Few. Few plays ferociously and clearly inspires Howard. While the simple yet catchy tunes are written mostly by the saxophonist, the music is a group effort that succeeds more often than not.