Phil DeGreg - The Green Gate (1999)

A fine pianist, DeGreg takes on some lovely chestnuts and sound originals. Abetted by a solid trio of Drew Gress on bass and Steve Davis on drums, DeGreg serves up a subtly detailed "Bouncin' with Bud" and a fragile "Smile." It is only when the band is joined by saxophonist Tim Ries that the music takes on a surprisingly poppy quality. This is unfortunate, because it makes the disc unbalanced, as if the band were trying to serve two masters: spare, honest traditional jazz and Kenny G style smooth jazz. © Tim Sheridan