Charles Fambrough Live at Zanzibar Blue in Bloomington, MN

There are a number of downsides to this live set.
Charles Fambrough
's bass is mixed a bit too aggressively, and the sound is distorted in spots. Many of the tracks fade at the end, undercutting the live feel of the record. And the entire second half of the program is listed in the wrong order on the tray card. On the positive side,
Fambrough
enlists two of his colleagues in
the Latin Jazz Project
, pianist
Bill O'Connell
and soprano saxophonist
Joe Ford
, both of whom do a great job with the mostly original material. Up-and-coming monster trumpeter
Sean Jones
is also reason enough to give the album a spin. Drummers
Wilby Fletcher
or
Lenny White
and percussionist
Roland Guerrero
complete the lineup;
Dolores Fambrough
, the leader's wife, contributes a lovely vocal performance on
"It Might as Well Be Spring."
~ David R. Adler