Not that Jackson is a constraining drummer- with Jackson, the feel is more two-voice counterpoint.

Donald Robinson's drumming is less conspicuous than Jackson's & as a result one of less constraint. Eneidi's Cherry Box marks the first small ensemble recording with Denis Charles & William Parker since Vermont Spring 1986 that he's not using Jackson Krall on drums. Unfortunately, Eneidi challenges those merely looking for someone to gawk at, inevitably frustrating the vanilla-inclined & otherwise shallow with his sophisticated approach to tonality & phrasing.

But if loud & fast were the sum & substance of Marco Eneidi, he would be enjoying widespread albeit conceptually emaciated popularity. No tempo is too fast for that matter, the faster the tempo, the more natural his playing sounds. Then there is his superhuman virtuosity on the horn. Regardless of what's going on & who's playing what, if Eneidi's playing, Eneidi can be heard. Nothing can prepare you for his tone let loose in a small ensemble his tone won't intimidate as much as terrify. What's immediately attractive about Marco Eneidi's saxophone playing is that it's loud & fast. It is a deeply humble performance, admirable in its self-effacement. In this context, Parker acts as mediator & facilitator, bonding & framing Eneidi & Robinson's contributions. His drumming rarely takes center stage here, but its polyrhythmic complexity & tonal color evidence an experienced & expressive player. Scarcely better known, drummer Donald Robinson served time in the late Glenn Spearman's various groups. He is a vigorous & exciting player, his hard-blown overtones white-rafting tumbling torrents of rapid notes in a searching exploration of the horn's timbre. Despite a string of significant releases on the Botticelli label, altoist Marco Eneidi remains relatively unsung.

Donald cherry player