Joe Lovano Quintet - Village Rhythm (1988) FLAC

By 1988, it was becoming increasingly obvious that tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano was on his way to becoming a major name in the jazz world. For this advanced hard bop set, he contributed all of the selections other than Charles Mingus' "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love," including a tribute to his father, tenorman Tony "Big T" Lovano. Teamed with trumpeter Tom Harrell, pianist Kenny Werner, bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Paul Motian, Lovano is heard throughout in his early prime, playing inventive and generally concise improvisations that were beginning to become distinctive.

Review by Scott Yanow