Using smart instrument voicings and a roomy but crystal clear recording, alto saxophonist Jon Klette, the man behind Jazzmob and the Jazzaway label, makes his quintet sound larger than its size on Pathfinder (Jazzaway), which swings like mad. “First Airborne” builds from the speedy unison lines of Klette’s alto and Gisle Johansen’s tenor sax. “Shaman” is built over a bass ostinato from Mats Eilertsen and spooky synths from Anders Aarum. The mad-person howls only add to the Hammer House of Horror vibe. “The Quest” follows in a similarly moody if less spooky vein, with some of its harmonies momentarily recalling the is-it-smooth-jazz question that David Sanborn asks so often. “Messing With Miss T” has more great unison lines between tenor and alto, along with a downright bangin’ bass and drum interplay.
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