Popular Culture

Saxist Eric Koppa plays in the pocket, plays just the right notes on the chords, and has a luminous, full tenor sound. Drummer Greg Marsh taps and paradiddles his way through, to get your foot moving, and keeps the band and the music moving forward. Bassist John Christensen walks a fine line between walking a line, and playing more freely. He mixes them together so well, you'll find yourself wondering how he does it. His solos are the highlight of the record, IMHO. Pianist/composer/producer Michael BB, aka Michael Butkus-Bomier, directs the proceedings, giving the players the maximum amount of artistic and musical freedom, in a spontaneous yet structured setting that features his best modal and post-bop compositions. His own playing tries to be different on each piece, giving the setting it's due from an improvisational standpoint. A long ballad, fast open swing, medium tempo major modes, and some unpredictable phrase lengths keep things from being either too staid or too outside. Listen, enjoy, and know the Price is Right! We believe that a hard copy of any CD ought to be priced LOWER rather than higher than the sum of it's download price. MBB.