If you only know alto saxophonist John Handy as a sideman, you don't really know John Handy.
Sure, he's a nimble backing player on numerous significant records, including most of Charles Mingus' influential late-1950s work.
But Handy, a leading figure on the San Francisco jazz scene for ages, is also a formidable bandleader and composer, working a field that intersects and combines elements of bop, modal, free jazz and more.
Given that it has only three songs, his 1967 stunner "New View" gives a remarkable overview of his multi-faceted muse. Backed by vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson and guitarist Pat Martino, Handy starts with a quietly assured reading of John Coltrane's "Naima" that shows a sterling sense for the power of dynamic variation.
Next is "A Little Quiet," a gorgeous original tune that marries a languid bossa nova beat with some of Handy's most melodic soloing. The closer , "Tears of Ol' Miss," shows Handy's willingness to be something of a firebrand, both politically and stylistically, with a impassioned indictment of Southern racism that peaks with a mocking rendition of "Dixie."
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