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Lucas Pino: Covers

By Jack Bowers
January 1, 2024
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Covers is a quartet date in which New York-based tenor saxophonist

Lucas Pino

saxophone, tenor
b.1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Lucas Pino "covers" half a dozen generally pleasing songs written by his contemporaries, alongside one each by

Charlie Parker

saxophone, alto
1920 - 1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Parker ("Relaxin' at Camarillo") and

Duke Pearson

piano
1932 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Duke Pearson ("New Girl"). Pino's smooth, articulate tenor saxophone is reinforced by guitarist

Alex Goodman

guitar
b.1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Alex Goodman, bassist

Rick Rosato

bass, acoustic
b.1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Rick Rosato and drummer

" data-original-title="" title="">Allan Mednard.

This represents something of a departure for Pino who usually records with larger groups—including his No Net Nonet—and seldom covers other musicians' themes. "Playing others' material," he writes, "provides an interesting musical lens for the listener, and an exciting, and sometimes challenging, jumping off point for the artist." This is especially true of

Alex LoRe

saxophone, alto

" data-original-title="" title="">Alex LoRe's mazelike "Amnesia," which keeps everyone on their toes while embracing heated solos by Pino, Goodman and Mednard, and evoking memories of

Warne Marsh

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1987

" data-original-title="" title="">Warne Marsh and

Lee Konitz

saxophone, alto
1927 - 2020

" data-original-title="" title="">Lee Konitz.

The session opens and closes in a temperate mood, scanning a ballad ("Moonstone") composed by

Toninho Horta

guitar

" data-original-title="" title="">Toninho Horta and and a "Waltz for MD" by

Rick Rosato

bass, acoustic
b.1988

" data-original-title="" title="">Rick Rosato.

Fred Hersch

piano
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Fred Hersch's freewheeling "Phantom of the Bopera" leads to "Camarillo" and

Nicholas Payton

trumpet
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Nicholas Payton's congenial "Tryptich." Pearson's "New Girl" is next, followed by Peter Schlamb's "REL," "Amnesia" and "Waltz for MD."

There is no cause to recount Pino's skills—he is a splendid soloist in any groove and at every pace—and everyone else pulls their weight. It should be noted that the session clocks in at a concise forty minutes, or roughly five minutes per tune. Setting that aside, an above-par recording with no appreciable letdowns.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Moonstone; Phantom of the Bopera; Relaxin�� at Camarillo; Tryptich; New Girl; REL; Amnesia; Waltz for MD.

Personnel

Lucas Pino

saxophone, tenor

Alex Goodman

guitar

Rick Rosato

bass, acoustic

Allan Mednard

drums

Album information

Title: Covers | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Outside in Music

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