Fred Wesley - Comme Ci Comme Ca (1991)

Trombonist Fred Wesley has spent much of his career either in the R&B groups of James Brown or Brown's sidemen but he has long been a closet bebopper. This CD offers several fine examples of Wesley's J.J. Johnson-inpsired style. Using a superior group of associates (including altoist Maceo Parker, Karl Denson on tenor and trumpeter Hugh Ragin), Wesley is quite unselfish in delegating solo space. The selections (originals plus "On Green Dolphin Street" and "Moose the Mooche") all fall into the hard bop realm; Teresa Carroll chips in a couple of decent vocals. In general the music is consistently predictable and safe but enjoyable, one of Fred Wesley's better dates as a leader. ~ Scott Yanow