January/February 2001

Joris Teepe Quintet
For Adults Only
Postcards

By Nancy Ann Lee

Led by Dutch-born bassist Joris Teepe, For Adults Only captures a live performance at Smalls in N.Y.C. His smokin' intergenerational team features notables Don Braden (soprano/tenor sax), Chris Potter (soprano/alto/tenor sax), pianist David Hazeltine and drummer Bruce Cox. Teepe's artistry, deserving of wider notice, is evident on his 11-tune third recording as leader. The 70-minute powerhouse of interactive creativity spotlights mostly originals for quintet or trio and comes with a warning label for its "saxual content which may cause undue excitement..." With its dueling saxes, the fiery hard-bop title track and a like-minded grand finale on the Freddie Hubbard classic "Up Jumped Spring" are standout quintet numbers. And while everyone commendably breaks free on Teepe's originals, a trio version of the ballad standard "You Don't Know What Love Is" showcases the bassist's stirring lyricism. This CD is the first new Postcards jazz release since Arkadia acquired the label in June 1999 and it's a keeper.