Source: Jazz Now
October 1997

HANGIN' FIVE
Resurgent Music RM112

Everything about this album says West Coast: the surfing reference in the title, the 5/4 time signature of the title tune, the-two-saxophone counterpoint on Lennie Tristano's 'Ablution', the laid-back style. And, yes, there’s also tehe gerenal lack of aggressiveness that many have found to be characteristic of West Coast Jazz through the years. Still, David Sills is a talented newcomer with a warm, light tone and fine musical ideas. He stays within the harmonies of the song, and tehe melody is never far away. Several originals show him to be a composer with a feel for sinous melody lines, a taste that’s also reflected in his choice of 'Ablution' and Miles David’s 'Vierd Blues'. Check out the sax-bass conversation on the latter.

Sills is more than ably backed by pianist Cecilia Coleman, the Resurgent Music house pianist who should be the envy of every label in jazz. Sherman Ferguson is in the front rank of southern California drummer, and Tom Warrington walk this authority. David’s teacher, the redoubtable altoist Gary Foster, joins him on a few cuts. The finale, Duke’s 'In a Sentimental Mood', is an unaccompanied saxophone improvisation. Sills avoids the temptation to show off on this and takes a simple tack that emphasizes the beauty of the melody with some respecful embellishment. An overhelful engineer cranked up the reverb on this track, adding little thereby to the mood Sills worked so carefully to create.

~ Robert Tate

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