PAUL KENDALL

LIVE AT VIC’S JAZZ LOFT

Independent Label

Paul Kendall, tenor saxophone; Marc Neely, trumpet/flugelhorn; Patrick Poladian, piano; Roy Cumming, bass; Rudy Petschauer, drums; Dan Kostelnik, organ.  

This CD is a compilation of live performances and studio recordings that were recorded between February and March of 2023.  Some tracks are recorded without drums, like their opening song, the Miles Davis composition, “Nardis.”  This puts pressure on bassist Roy Cummings and pianist Patrick Poladian to perform the rhythm section without the typical rhythm accompaniment.  I have to say, I missed the drums.

Paul Kendall explains this arrangement choice by saying, “I wanted to see if we could still play with energy in the ‘chamber group’ format, with no drummer on the live gig.  My intent was to create intensity during my solos. It made for playing I would not normally do in the studio.”

I was more comfortable when Rudy Petschauer appears on drums during their upbeat performance of “Jeannine,” a popular jazz tune written by Duke Pearson.  Paul Kendall sounds smooth and invigorated during his tenor sax solo. Dan Kostelnik’s organ solo is a pleasant surprise and a nice addition to the group ensemble.

The thing about recording ‘live’ is that you have to have a really excellent engineer and recording equipment to get the right balances, and to catch the tone configurations, as well as guaranteeing clarity.  By Kendall and his various groups performing in various locations, I can see that it may have been a challenge to balance the tones and make the variety of recordings match.  That put aside, along with the fact that sometimes he employs a drummer and sometimes he does not, this still showcases Kendall’s excellence and power on tenor saxophone.  His solo is my favorite during the “Hi Fly” arrangement. The organ and drum rhythm section is back and interprets “Like Someone in Love” in a comfortable slow swing mode.  For my taste, tracks 2, 4, and 6 recorded by Kent Heckman at Red Rock Recording, are my favorite songs and reflect the best of Paul Kendal.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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