March 1997

Steve Grover
In The G Zone
SGM

By Owen Cordle

Grover, a drummer who teaches at the University of Maine in Augusta and who won the 1994 Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz/BMI Jazz Composers Competition, leads a fine, underrated group of modern, New England jazzmen on this album. Playing mostly Grover originals, the group (which divides up into various configurations from cut to cut) includes tenor saxophonist George Garzone (who has been influenced by Joe Lovano), trumpeter Dave Ballou (who favors Kenny Wheeler), guitarist Tony Gaboury, pianist Tim Ray, and bassist Dave Clark. Solid all the way.