May 1999

Richard Boulger
The Calling
b-1 Music

By Sid Gribetz

Richard Boulger is a trumpeter who plays with a fat sound in the modern tradition. Schooled at Hartt and Rutgers, this is his first recording as a leader, in a small group setting with Kris Jensen on tenor sax and flute, and guest shots from friend Eddie Henderson.

Boulger presents some originals in the post-hard bop idiom, and others with a spacy spirituality and a nod to the cosmos. The arrangements and group interplay are intriguing, and the talent is there, with a dollop of soul.