Spheres of Influence

Album Review

Trumpeter Brian Lynch was featured in the last edition of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers but his interests have often reached beyond hard bop; in fact he has often performed with Eddie Palmieri. On this excellent set, the talented trumpeter utilizes rhythms that range from straight-ahead to Afro-Cuban (most obviously on "Palmieri's Mood") and funky. On five of his originals and tunes by Lerne & Loewe (an inventive reworking of "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face"), Duke Pearson and Wayne Shorter ("Oriental Folk Song"), Lynch is heard in top form. Two different rhythm sections (both with pianist David Kikoski) are featured; altoist Donald Harrison is on five selections, and a high-powered five-piece brass section is heard from on two other cuts, while Pearson's "You Know I Care" showcases the leader as the only horn. Although vastly underrated (if not overlooked completely), Brian Lynch, 40 at the time of this 1997 recording, was one of the top jazz trumpeters of the time. This is one of his best all-around recordings.