Ideally, one of the benefits of experience in music is a gradual diminishing of the need to show off. For evidence, consider the work of saxophone ace Mel Martin, a longstanding bulwark of the Bay Area jazz scene.
The veteran player is as cool and humble as they come on his latest CD, "Where the Warm Winds Blow." Which is not to say that he doesn't blow up a storm on some tunes, as he assays a versatile assortment of originals and songs by some of the masters. But the song always comes first. But with nothing to prove, Martin puts the emphasis squarely on melody, group dynamics and swinging.
Highlights include the Benny Carter-penned title track, which starts off with some gorgeously delicate interplay between Martin (on flute) and pianist Don Friedman as it builds into a dreamy impression of tropical languor.
A tropical/Latin vibe pervades much of the album, thanks in no small part to the presence of master conguero and percussionist John Santos. Martin and guitarist Brad Buethe establish their chops with rapid-fire but never self-indulgent riffs on the original "Silly Hawk Walk," while Friedman's groovy Fender Rhodes work on Herbie Hancock's "I Have a Dream" adds an intriguing fusion flavor to the mix.
Perhaps the finest showcase of Martin's talent is the original "To Catey With Live," a dramatic ballad in which Martin plays with beautifully controlled power and passion. This is one sax player who seems incapable of lapsing into the contemporary vices of overblowing and speed-riffing.
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