DMJ-1125DMJ-1125
"PROFILES"
"...(A) defining Philly tenor...McKenna takes top billing here with a big creamy tone and a sure hand through the changes...reliably soulful, and he's always secure...
McKenna's foil is pianist Tom Lawton, along with a polished rhythm section of drummer Dan Monaghan and bassist Kevin MacConnell. Lawton is so pure he could be playing with white gloves.
...The focus rests on standards, though McKenna offers two originals, including the boppish 'Is It Over My Head?'...
...(T)here's a tinge of Latin with 'Tres Palabras' and three Cole Porter tunes, including 'I Love You,' with singer Nancy Reed sitting in.
It all makes for a cocktail moment. This is honed mellowness."
- Philadelphia Inquirer
"Musicality runs deep in saxophonist Larry McKenna's veins. He kick-starts his exceptional album Profile with a swinging up-tempo tune, 'You Know It's Me,' an original that showcases his buttery-toned tenor and quick-witted agility. Like other great jazz musicians...McKenna loves harmonious tunes that blossom through invention and you have to hand it to McKenna for putting together an ace supporting band - bassist Kevin MacConnell, drummer Dan Monaghan and, especially, pianist Tom Lawton who shares the leader's affinity for appreciating the art of a song. The tunes are tailor-made for McKenna's sensitivity, which is why he includes three by Cole Porter, as well as Henry Mancini's 'Two for the Road;' the melodies marry beautifully with McKenna's horn and Lawton's elegant accompaniment. Two tunes with vocalist Nancy Reed are also standouts with fine work on 'Perhaps This Wintertime' with music by McKenna and original lyrics by Melissa Gilstrap.
...(C)hances are you'll get buzzed hearing Larry McKenna...this guy knows his stuff. The nuanced ballad 'I'll Close My Eyes' demonstrates an emotional complexity that lesser musicians wouldn't have a clue about. Lean and affable, the ten tunes on Profile go by much too quickly and you're left wanting more. McKenna is a class act and so is his record. Park yourself and listen up."
- ICON Magazine
"Velvety...all romance...His big, smooth tone opens with a plaintive 'Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most' and never gets derailed...McKenna and his mates dare to play pretty and get away with it. When he plays 'You Must Believe In Spring,' it's with conviction."
- Philadelphia Inquirer
"Larry McKenna, the tenor sax treasure of Philadelphia...strongly melodic, swinging and sometimes charmingly innovative...the truth is, he is incomparable!
...On his new CD, he makes the tunes all sound brand new...It is probably the best jazz CD produced in Philadelphia this year."
- Phila. Metro
"Although the tenor saxman is quite capable of playing fast and aggressively, his romantic side prevails on this CD...the veteran tenor man always sounds like himself on this excellent release."
- All Music Guide
"McKenna seems to
understand that standards from the American songbook provide the
appropriate material, with kinetic undercurrent and an emotionally
satisfying synthesis of lyrics and melody, for the presentation of
his style, warm and fluid and sometimes with an unexpected bite.
While McKenna's quartet mixes up the standards on this CD--the
pulsating 'Bluesette' introduction of 'One Morning In May'
contrasting with, for example, the unembellished soulfulness of
'Spring Is Here'--his personalized approach to mining the gems
buried within a song remains the constant element throughout.
With a slight vibrato, a sudden loosening
of embouchure, a breathy softness from easing off a note or the
crafting of warm and comforting lower tones, McKenna's sound is
one, like those of the saxophone masters, that remains after the
CD has completed its 57 minutes…and then draws in the listener for
repeated play. McKenna concentrates not only on the song, but also
on the sound of his instrument. Rather than filling in sustained
4- or 8-beat notes with a distracting flurry, McKenna lets the
beauty of the tone sustain interest in the ideas contained within
the phrase.
'So Many Stars,' in particular, seems to highlight the strengths
of McKenna's style as he persuasively invites one into the tune,
instead of arresting the listener with an stentorian assertion.
Even the key in which the tune is played seems to have been chosen
carefully to showcase McKenna's range, from the alto-like delicacy
of the higher notes to the reassuring cushioning of the lower
ones, as if he were modulating his voice for the effect of a
subtle but dramatic point.
On the other hand, McKenna proves that he can swing, albeit in
effortlessly floating movement, on tunes like 'April Showers' or
'How About You.' With maturity, confidence and sensitivity, Larry
McKenna has recorded a memorable CD that reminds listeners how
emotionally effective the saxophone can be in evoking a wide range
of complex and deeply felt responses from listeners."
- jazzreview.com
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