Stephens Quintet / Dayna Sextet - Reminiscent [CD]

For his third Criss Cross release, following Today is Tomorrow (CRC 1345) and I'll Take My Chances (CRC 1361) tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens presents a fresh take on the 'saxophone battle' genre in partnership with rising star Walter Smith III, himself the leader of the critically acclaimed III (CRC 1328). Complemented by a state of-the-art rhythm section of A-list 30-something's (Aaron Parks, piano; Mike Moreno, guitar; Harish Raghavan; and Rodney Green, drums) the protagonist juxtapose their distinctive instrumental voices and apply their melody-centric sensibilities to a varied program comprising original music, as well as the iconic two-tenor standard Blues Up And Down and Bill Evans' Blue in Green. Less a cutting than a forum for collective story-telling, Reminiscent is a tour de force that will repay repeated listening's.