The clarion call of Doug Talley’s robust tenor has been a mainstay of the busy Kansas City scene since the early 1990s. Here, shedding the relative anonymity of sideman, Talley gets to flex his considerable post-bop chops. Helming his own simpatico quartet, the young tenorman showcases a sextet of gripping originals and an appealing make-over of “Cherokee.” Abetting Talley in such brawny forays as “The Challenge” are pianist Wayne Hawkins, bassist Tim Brewer and drummer Keith Kavanaugh. It’s a bracingly modern affair and proof positive that Kansas City jazz is much more than just Southwestern swing.
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