Denis Gäbel - Keep On Rollin' (A Tribute To Sonny Rollins) (2007)

Denis Gabel pays tribute to vintage Sonny Rollins by performing the three parts of his "Freedom Suite" and three numbers from his Way Out West album. Actually, although Gabel gets first billing, he shares the spotlight with his fellow tenorman Jasper Blom. Accompanied by bassist Henning Galling (who gets some solo space) and drummer Hendrik Smock, the two tenors both have sounds that are influenced by Sonny Rollins without being overly imitative. Their improvisations, while keeping both Rollins' style and the melodies in mind, are sometimes more advanced, and they blend together very well. There are times when one has to pay very close attention to see where one solo ends and the other one begins. It does take courage to tackle the entire "Freedom Suite," but Gabel and Blom do an excellent job of paying homage to the great Sonny Rollins.

Review by Scott Yanow