Donny McCaslin: Soar

CML call number: CD/JAZZ/McCaslin
Nate Chinen wrote in the New York Times: "Donny McCaslin's athletic tenor and soprano saxophone playing have made him a welcome presence in the Maria Schneider Orchestra for the last couple of years. This album, his first since joining the orchestra, features two fellow travelers in that ensemble -- the guitarist Ben Monder and the vocalist Luciana Souza -- and intermittently suggests Ms. Schneider's harmonic approach. But Mr. McCaslin's interests are earthier than Ms. Schneider's, as evidenced by the Panamanian folk melodies that bookend 'Soar.' Those songs point, in fact, to the sway of Danilo Pérez, a pianist and composer from Panama and another of Mr. McCaslin's occasional employers. The seven originals that make up the heart of the album also suggest Mr. Pérez, in a rush of billowing melodies and undulating rhythms. That isn't always a limitation. Some pieces, like 'O Campeão' and 'Be Love,' show Mr. McCaslin's own compositional voice commingling with those of his influences and with the stirrings of his strong ensemble. The album is well worth hearing for those moments" ("Critic's Choice: New CD's," 4/3/06).