Ben Britton - Sound Expression (2022)

Rare is the tenor player these days who has not been caught in the musical wake of either John Coltrane or Michael Brecker. Ben Britton has wisely carved his own musical path, both in playing and in composing, bringing together a simpatico team of Rich Speicher/tp, Jarom Christensen/as, Michael Frew/g, Dean Rodemack/b and Alex Doetsch/dr that are inspired by the past, but not beholden to it.

His palpably warm tenor sound is able to dig in deep with Frew on the easy paced take of “Someday My Prince Will Come” while the horns join in and grow in butanes on the comfortably grooved take of Joe Henderson’s “Isotope”. Frew gets funky here and Speicher is sweet and pungent on his outing, with Britton soloing with Blue Note authority. A read of Sam Rivers’ “Beatrice” brings Doetsch and Frew into a hip soul pulse with the horns bringing in a bluesy sway.

Britton’s own “Circle Steps” have the front line horns surf riding over the white caps of the cadence created by Rodermack, Frew and Doetsch, while Brittonand Speicher flex their muscles on the funky groove of “Second Wind”. You get some clever harmonies and rich colors on the post bopper “Been Pat” with Doetsch’s cymbals guiding the traffic, and the team gliding to a safe three point landing.

The music is accessible, not predictable and always attractive to the ears, heart and feet. A fresh voice worth giving an ear to.