Frank Butler - Wheelin' and Dealin' (1987)

Frank Butler's second and last recording as a leader followed his first by just under one year. He retains the same rhythm section as on The Stepper (Dolo Coker and Monty Budwig, while featuring two tenor saxophonists, Joe Farrell and Teddy Edwards, this time around. Missing are the longer drum solos of the earlier album; instead the focus is primarily on the two saxes. Edwards wrote the opening up-tempo blues "Wheelin' and Dealin'," which turns into an old-fashioned tenor battle, with both men coming out victorious. The ballad medley is split, with Farrell taking "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good") and Edwards playing "Tenderly," though the latter's solo gets the nod. Butler is showcased briefly in a snappy treatment of ‘Four" and more extensively in Coker's "Mr. October." Since this long out of print Xanadu LP is a bit more accessible than its predecessor, it will especially appeal to lovers of hard bop.