Bman's Blues Report

  I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Balancing Act , from Zachary Bartholomew , and it's adventurous and soothing. Opening with Crazy Socks , a cool bop track featuring Benny Benack III on trumpet and Zachary Bartholomew, this track really rolls with Marty Quinn on bass, and Rudolfo Zuniga  on drums. Crisp opener. David Fernandez on sax joins Bartholomew on Bring The Noise , with an aggressive piano lead and tight rhythm section by Quinn and Zuniga. Jagged time signatures add really nice texture to the track and a well composed solo by Benack on trumpet over a Latin concept really works nicely. The Long and Winding Road has a complex rhythm pairing Bartholomew with Fernandez on soprano sax. A strong sense of space and time and a nicely executed piano lead by Bartholomew make this a top track on the release. Wrapping the release is Midnight Nefarity with Fernandez on sax paired with Bartholomew on piano. Bartholomew's melodic piano improv is quietin...