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CAROL SUDHALTER QUARTET -Live At St. Peter's Church

ALFA AFPCD194

Carol Sudhalter (bar, f); Patrick Poladian (p); Kevin Hailey (b); Mike Campenni (d) 
Recorded NYC 18 March 2018.

This is a relaxed, flowing session, recorded in St. Peter’s Church in New York in front of an appreciative audience. Carol begins with an extensive, easy going version of Dameron’s popular On A Misty Night with the rhythm section contributing to the easy swing. Ms S plays baritone without the usual hard blast of low register notes but more in a rounded, soft at the edges ton e that is attractive in this type of setting. Pianist Paladian gets a solo and so does bassist Hailey. Bennie Golson’s Park Avenue Retreat is given the full pretty melody treatment with Carol’s baritone smooth as silk as she plays it in ballad mode. Switching to flute she plays Time Remembered by Bill Evans which the quartet swing gently. Back to baritone for the leader on Mobley’s Funk In A Deep Freeze where the group up the tempo a little and Carol plays a slightly more crusty solo. A brief drum workout is heard here.

Carol shoes that she is a more than competent interpreter of the blues on Colin’s Blues where she indulges in a vocal before picking up her instrument again. Although all these tracks are fairly low key there are some very well structured solos, mainly from Ms Sudhalter but also from the pianist and Kevin Hailey on bass After a brisk waltz workout on Sonny Rollins’ Valse Hot, Hailey gets his feature on Gee Baby Ain’t I Good To You where he plays an extended bass feature demonstrating virtuoso technique on his instrument. This fascinating set closes with a neat duo between Carol and her pianist, concluding a very enjoyable recorded programme. It is straight ahead jazz, no fireworks but some nicely integrated swinging at mostly moderate tempi.

Reviewed by Derek Ansell

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