RON HOLLOWAY & FRIENDS "Live ..

The Washington Post
4/11/2003

Saxophonist Ron Holloway doesn't merely get by with a lot of help from his friends on "Live at Montpelier." He gets soulful, melodic and funky, inspired by the good company onstage and a collection of familiar tunes that allow plenty of room for improvisation.

Recorded at the Montpelier Cultural Arts Center in Laurel, "Live" captures Holloway in his element, collaborating in a club-like atmosphere with musicians who clearly share his interest in jazz and R&B. Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder" and the Ahmad Jamal hit "Poinciana" swiftly establish a cozy mood, with drummer Marty Morrison and bassist Tommy Cecil neatly underpinning a string of colorful and sometimes bracing solos by Holloway, trumpeter Chris Battistone, guitarist Charles Wright and pianist Harry Appelman. The local reedman's robust tone and rhythmic agility, in addition to revealing the influence of Sonny Rollins, help charge these and other vintage jazz tunes with new life and luster.

Half the album, though, is devoted to more earthy tunes that find Holloway working with another band. Among other things, vocalist Julia Nixon proves she has the courage to cover the Etta James classic "At Last" and the talent to pull it off. Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" and "Chameleon," on the other hand, make delightful use of swaggering horns (with Holloway again teamed up with Battistone), Wright's slinky fretwork and a thick funk brew stirred up by keyboardist Benjie Porecki, bassist David Dyson and drummer Andre "Blues" Webb.

-- Mike Joyce