Tom Bacon - The Flipside: Jazz Horn Solos (1989)

Tom Bacon is a very fine French horn player, and it is not everyday that someone blows jazz solos on the horn. Nevertheless, this short (45'35") album rarely rises much above the level of a novelty, perhaps due to the somewhat uninspiring material. If not for the horn, there is not much to distinguish this one from the pack. That being said, for those with a special interest in the French horn, this album should prove more than satisfactory. Bacon has a clean, crisp tone, and a fluid technique. His overdubbing on three tracks is gimmicky, but it still delights. Bacon is backed by various conglomerations, from the Rice University Jazz Band to a few different rhythm sections. The three arrangements by Art Gottschalk for the big band seem to work best, in part because they reflect a lighthearted approach.