Joe Finn, gituar,vocal; Scott Bassinson, piano; Mike Wicks, bass; Gene Garone, drums
Recorded April 2003 in New York
On twelve varied selections these new young players on the Jazz scene run the gamut from the hey-day of song writing with numbers such as "Body and Soul;" "My Ideal;" "Anthropology;" "Upper Manhattan Medical Group" and "Portrait of Jenny" to lesser known originals. The program provides ample opportunity for Joe to flex his considerable guitar chops and it spotlights pianist Scott, but more particularly it shows off the technique of drummer Gene Garone. For my taste Gene is a touch too prominent in the sound mix, with the opposite being true of the more than competent bassist Mike Wicks. Joe demonstrates a passable vocal ability on a couple of songs and throughout shows a capable, if somewhat busy, guitar style.
I detect a certain anxiety in the feel of the whole album and I'm sure the venture could have profited from a few less notes. Despite the obvious playing ability it doesn't come across as a memorable recording.
by AI Merritt
Jazz Now Interactive June 2004 Vol 14 No. 2 - Table of Contents
Your comments: jazznow@scbglobal.net