Brandon Fields The Traveler (1988) {nova}

An excellent altoist and soprano-saxophonist, Brandon Fields mostly plays commercial music on this set. On "Studio Cafe Blues," he shows what he can do in a creative jazz context, but otherwise the music is rather mundane, with long melody statements, unimaginative rhythms, and a great deal of safe playing; this version of John Coltrane's "Equinox" is a misfire. Although there are some moments of interest (Fields does attractive tones on his instruments, and the musicianship of the players is high), Brandon Fields has shown elsewhere that he is capable of much better.

An excellent altoist and soprano-saxophonist, Brandon Fields mostly plays commercial music on this set. On "Studio Cafe Blues," he shows what he can do in a creative jazz context, but otherwise the music is rather mundane, with long melody statements, unimaginative rhythms, and a great deal of safe playing; this version of John Coltrane's "Equinox" is a misfire. Although there are some moments of interest (Fields does attractive tones on his instruments, and the musicianship of the players is high), Brandon Fields has shown elsewhere that he is capable of much better.