When the music on this CD was released for the first time in 1997, it had been a long time since anything had been heard from John Klemmer on records. A superior improviser who was one of the few innovators on the electrified sax (along with Eddie Harris), Klemmer had great commercial success in the mid-'70s with some ballad-oriented mood music recordings that were close to pop. However, during the '80s and early '90s, he focused on composing and stayed out of the studios, except for the 1989 date that resulted in Music. On ...
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When the music on this CD was released for the first time in 1997, it had been a long time since anything had been heard from John Klemmer on records. A superior improviser who was one of the few innovators on the electrified sax (along with Eddie Harris), Klemmer had great commercial success in the mid-'70s with some ballad-oriented mood music recordings that were close to pop. However, during the '80s and early '90s, he focused on composing and stayed out of the studios, except for the 1989 date that resulted in Music. On this very enjoyable session, Klemmer sticks to his acoustic tenor and is heard performing a set of duets with acoustic guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves. Other than the inclusion of some beach and seagull sounds here and there (added because the duo often played in the Malibu area at the time), the music is unedited and quite spontaneous. Klemmer's pretty tone is often reminiscent of Stan Getz, which is obvious even before getting to his versions of "Early Autumn" and "Moonlight In Vermont," yet his style was always a bit more advanced, and he often pushes himself. Castro-Neves is mostly in a supportive role, adding Brazilian rhythms and his own brand of beauty to the lyrical date. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi
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