Charles Davis - Reflections (1992)

Charles Davis is a veteran saxophonist who's better known for his extensive resumé as a sideman (Duke Ellington, Dinah Washington, Kenny Dorham, Clark Terry Big Bad Band, and Abdullah Ibrahim, to name a few) than for the relatively few dates he's done as a leader. Although he plays several members of the reed family, he sticks to tenor sax on this session, which reunites him with Barry Harris; Peter Washington and Ben Riley round out his excellent rhythm section. The session is mostly made up of Davis' originals, kicking things off with the well-named "Monking," a brisk, dissonant line that implies the spirit of the late pianist. But Monk's "Reflections," although well played, is erroneously credited to the saxophonist. Two separate takes of "K.D.," a driving hard bop composition (presumably dedicated to Kenny Dorham, but there are no liner notes), prove to be stimulating. Harris contributed the peppy waltz "To Duke With Love." Hard bop fans will enjoy this CD. ~Ken Dryden