Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Chris Greene: PlaySCAPE

Chris Greene: PlaySCAPE

By C. Michael Bailey
August 7, 2019
View read count

Saxophonist

Chris Greene

saxophone
b.1973

" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Greene's twelfth recording is a solid hard bop affair, an appointed EP, that begins intensely and never gives up. The angular, "Blues for Dr. Fear" kicks things off, funky and sharp-edged. Greene plays as much

Michael Brecker

saxophone, tenor
1949 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Brecker as

Hank Mobley

saxophone, tenor
1930 - 1986

" data-original-title="" title="">Hank Mobley squeezing every bit of grease from this extralean music. "Thunder Snow" is mid-1960s

Joe Henderson

saxophone
1937 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Henderson swing, Greene jousting with drummer

Steve Corley

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Corley. Things descend (or ascend, if you will) to the realm of

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane's classic quartet. And was that a

Dexter Gordon

saxophone, tenor
1923 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Dexter Gordon tone?

"Clean and Clear" is ruminative and thoughtful, smokey and humid. Greene's soprano saxophone, almost Middle Eastern over the impressionist chords fed him by pianist Damien Espinosa. Greene explores the piece at length, parlaying one creative idea into the next. Espinosa and bassist Marc Paine are afforded equal time, which they spend well with their own explorations. the lengthiest piece, "3 & 6" begins with the bass, pizzicato, strolling around a central figure not unlike "A Love Supreme" but much more balladic with an intense bottom of gospel. Greene closes with

Wayne Shorter

saxophone
1933 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil," given an intense Latin-Islands vibe that closes the disc on a positive note. Keeper of the Flame, Greene is to be cherished.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Blues for Dr. Fear; Thunder Snow; Clean and Clear; Three & Six; The Crossover Appeal (Uno Mas); Speak No Evil.

Personnel

Chris Greene

saxophone

Chris Greene: saxophones; Damian Espinosa: piano & keyboards; Marc Piane: basses; Steve Corley: drums & percussion; Marqueal Jordan: alto saxophone (5).

Album information

Title: PlaySCAPE | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

A focus on Nate Wooley
< Previous

Scenes From a Life in Jazz, Part 2: ...
Next >

Chris Greene Concerts

Dec 20 Sat

WDCB Jazz At The Plex Features "holiday Jazz"...

Comedy Plex
Oak Park, IL

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.