Brandon Fields - The Other Side Of The Story (1988)

An excellent, quite versatile altoist influenced a bit sound-wise by David Sanborn, Brandon Fields has mostly been buried as a session musician. His occasional solo projects tend to be quite rewarding, particularly to listeners who do not mind mixing in some funk with their jazz. For this out-of-print LP, put out by the defunct Nova label, Fields sounds fine on alto, tenor, soprano, and flute and is joined by trumpeter Walt Fowler, keyboardist David Garfield, up-and-coming bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Gregg Bissonette. In addition, tenorman Albert Wing sits in on two songs and guitarist Robben Ford makes his presence felt on "Bullfunk." The nine songs are all Fields originals and they cover a wide span of moods, from heated romps to lyrical ballads. -- Scott Yanow