Ron Starr, tenor sax; Billy Moran, keyboards, Tony Savage, drums; Hans Halt, bass
The opener on this 9 track CD, "Up Jumped a Rabbit," a Ron Starr composition, was a wise choice, because everybody gets to let you know right away that they came to play. Billy Moran does the intro on keyboards accompanied by Hans Halt on bass, with Tony Savage setting the time with the cymbals, then Ron Starr's BIG tenor sound cuts in and away they go.
You get the feeling that this group was having fun and that makes you enjoy the music even more. The second piece is the title track Strawberry Jam, also a Ron Starr composition. The other seven are standards. After listening to the first 2, it makes you really want to be exposed to more of Ron's own creations.
All in all I am happy to have this in my collection and will play it on my radio show. I also know where to see and hear Ron in person in Reno, having caught him there in January 2005.
by Haybert K. Houston