Virginia Mayhew - No Walls (2000)

Tenor and soprano saxophonist Virginia Mayhew is swinging and confident on her sophomore outing. While not a particularly bold stylist, she is a solid writer and interpreter of canonical post-bop jazz. Her sextet includes two fellow young female jazzers, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and drummer Allison Miller, as well as the hardened veterans Harvie Swartz on bass and Kenny Barron on piano. Adam Cruz also adds percussion on several tracks. The first four pieces are Mayhew originals. Beginning with funky blues on "Hi-ya, Mama!" the group then expertly handles the fast, modal swing of "Apple Flambé," the 5/4 Latin of "The Visit We Missed," and the flowing waltz time of "Never Enough." Kenny Barron, in particular, elevates Mayhew's work, and the frontline rapport between Mayhew and Jensen is quite strong. There's some solid repertoire on the rest of the session as well: Dave Holland's difficult 5/4 Latin piece "The Oracle," John Coltrane's burning "Grand Central," originals by Swartz and Barron, and a beautiful piano/tenor duo rendition of Duke Ellington's "Don't You Know I Care."

Review by David R. Adler