Jonathan Bauer - Walk, Don't Run (2019)

Jonathan Bauer has a classic Blue Note bopping sound on his horn, swinging like a modern day Lee Morgan on this album that’s filled with swinging swagger. He teams up with a macho group including Alexander Geddes/ts, Ryan Hanseler/p, Alex Dyring/b and Gerald Watkins Jr/dr for muscular originals. His tone is warm on the slinky blues “Chattin” and rides Watkins ride cymbal like a long boarder on the slick waltz “Precious Moments.” Hanseler is lovely on the spartan “We Need to Do Better” and gets modal with a textured front line of horns for “Violet.” The biceps are flexed for “Ella” and the team boogaloos on Broadway for “The Closer.” Strong and confident-joy for hard bop devotees!