Dale Fielder - Free Flow (1993)

An excellent hard bop saxophonist who triples on alto, tenor, and soprano, Dale Fielder sometimes sounds a bit like Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper, and Hank Mobley, but generally displays his own musical personality. On this mostly straight-ahead set from 1993, Fielder and a variety of musicians who are mostly based in Los Angeles (including trumpeter Dan Bagasoul and pianist Greg Kurstin) perform music ranging from Blue Note-style hard bop to selections influenced by John Coltrane. Among the most memorable selections are Julian Priester's "The Stroker," Wes Montgomery's "Full House," "I'll Take Romance," and Wayne Shorter's "One By One," although Fielder's three originals are excellent, too. Dale Fielder and his sidemen deserve much more recognition for their musical talents.~© Scott Yanow /TiVo