text: Ultra high-energy sax Nathan Zaporski – LIVE RECITATION: You know, folks, one of the best things about writing a music review magazine (for this 7-decade reviewer, anyway) is that your ears are ALWAYS pumping, from the “youngblood” that continually comes in for review! Nathan is from the “Motor City”, a place that I spent a fair amount of time in (well, just up the road actually, in Troy) a few years back. You don’t even really need to look at his picture on the album cover to know Nathan is just burning brightly with the kind of soul & jazz energy Detroit used to be so famous for… as I listen to the jumpin’ “Wild Bill“, that liberating exuberance of youth just SHINES through… & the amazing thing is that he does all this without sounding like he’s “trying” to impress your ears… his alto just lets you know right where he’s coming from… & (I don’t hesitate to say it), right to the TOP of the jazz saxophone hill… keep your ears peeled over the next several months/years… this cat will be producing a LOT more music for your enjoyment. It doesn’t hurt that he has excellent players supporting him, like Julius Tucker on piano, Alex Warshawsky playing bass & Alvin Cobb doing drums; a VERY tight group, to be sure!
  Their rendition of “‘Round Midnight” is also the longest on the release, and certainly among the best I’ve ever heard… the group takes plenty of time to express themselves just as soulfully as any “jazz stars” you’ve heard lately; Nathan’s reed work is easy to declare as “the best I’ve heard (yet) in 2017″… tasty, tasty; this will stick to your ribs!
  For some reviewers I’ve spoken with, they say they have to “deliberate” on what tune is their favorite on an album… NOT SO for this old granddaddy reviewer… the 7:44 opener, “Rhythm-a-ning“, was a song I knew would be my personal favorite of the seven tunes offered up… just absolutely SMOKIN’ jazz that demonstrates clear talent and devotion on the part of each of the players… but, of course, it is Nathan’s alto that leads that charge so eloquently! I’m more impressed than I have been in a good long while… Nathan gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from my old ears, with a (perfect) “EQ” (energy quotient) score of 5.00. & that means that he also gets the “PICK” for “best sax-led quartet”; I’m lovin’ this! Get more information, listen to samples & videos & purchase the album on Nathan’s page for the album. Rotcod Zzaj
  
  When I was toddler I wanted to be a detective. The one with beige trench and magnifying glass who goes around to solve problems.
  My path drastically changed when I realized all the beauty around me and the power to make this beauty epic, surreal and magical.
  Something of my childhood job-dream still remain: the passion to solve problems, to dig deep into the initial idea and solve the case with solids visual images for areas such as animation, film, gaming, and advertising. I'm a concept artist and I still have my trench on.
  
  This omelet of green apples and goat cheese is an unusual pairing -- at least in the omelet world -- but a wonderful one from Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery. On the day we made this recipe, he paired the dish with a glass of Blanche de Chambly, a Belgian-style wheat beer made in Canada. —Mark Bittman