The instrumental talents and compositions of rising bassist Paul Brusger are featured on this disc, which is also graced by the presence of trumpeter Valery Ponomarev, saxophonist George Allgaier, pianist Dado Moroni and drummer John Jenkins.
Inspired by the great Paul Chambers, Brusger has rock-solid time, accurate intonation and formidable technique, all of which serve him well throughout the straightahead set. Of the program’s 10 tunes, only two aren’t by Brusger: “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me,” which features some stellar blowing by Ponomarev and Allgaier, and “Falling In Love With Love,” where the quintet downsizes to a trio. The remaining material provides a series of vehicles for plenty of overt blowing. “Paul’s Chamber,” a grooving 12-bar workout with a fine bass solo, salutes the leader’s mentor and contrasts with the 6/8 groove of “Transition Blues.” And while tunes like “Urban Lullaby” and “Swing Street” ring with a certain familiarity, it’s hardly a bad thing when your goal is to stay grounded in a particular genre, which is clearly the intent.
While there’s nothing particularly ground breaking here, this tight-knit unit has the one trait that keeps ears tuned into what they’re doing: they swing.
Paul Brusger: You Oughta Know It
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