Alto saxophonist Lewis Keel plays straight-up bop on "Coming Out Swinging," his 1992 album for Muse Records. But everything he plays is informed by the blues. That's clear when you listen to tunes such as "Love for Sale," "Day By Day," "Quiet Nights" and "Blues Walk." Much of his feel for the blues is attributable to the fact that he grew up in Memphis playing in R&B bands and idolizing Don Wilkerson and Hank Crawford, two of the bluesiest of all jazz saxophonists. The fact that Keel served a stint playing with blues great Johnny Copeland probably helped him find his groove, too.
Keel found some kindred spirits to accompany him on "Coming Out Swinging": pianist Harold Mabern and bassist Jamil Nasser, both fellow Memphis natives; guitarist Jimmy Ponder; drummer Leroy Williams; and percussionist Buzz Hollie. They all play jazz with a soulful feel. And like the album title says, they really do swing, especially on "Anthropology" and "Lover Come Back to Me, which are played at a furious pace. In fact, "swing" probably isn't a strong enough word to describe it. The whole crew flies through the tunes.
"Coming Out Swinging is a good album with some outstanding moments. It's certainly worth picking up if you can find it. I'd check Dusty Grooves America, which lists a copy for $4.99.
(Jazz Blog Special is a regular feature that examines older jazz albums worth checking out.)
