With the release earlier this year of Right On Time, sax specialist Ken Fowser has now put out as many solo albums as he’s made with former musical partner and vibes ace Kehn Gillece. The last time a Fowser-led work was examined in this space, the tenor man was just stepping out onto his own and it was noted then in this classic, acoustic quintet setting that “Fowser’s tone and delivery is a big bag of soul.”
Sax players with those qualities always thrive in an organ and guitar combo where the higher grease quotient fits right in with their diction, and at the urging of producer Marc Free, that’s just what Ken Fowser does for Right On Time. Wisely choosing guitarist Ed Cherry and organist Brian Charette to literally provide electricity to the sessions along with Willie Jones III on drums, it might be the first time most people are hearing Fowser in this type of soul-jazz environment, but it seems as if he’s done this thing all along.
Tone and feel is everything here, and this crew consistently delivers. “Samba For Joe Bim” is as advertised, and the low, single lines from Cherry following the higher octave notes from Ken Fowser is one of the little arrangement touches that elevates the quality of these sessions above the crowd of very competent jazz recordings that are still made today.
“Duck And Cover” swings authoritatively in the proud tradition of a Posi-Tone recording date, and listeners are treated with Fowser sharing solo duties with trombonist Steve Davis and trumpeter Joe Magnarelli. An imaginative arrangement on another swinger “Knights Of The Round” has the horn players playing a pattern at slightly different spots a la “Row Row Row Your Boat” and Magnarelli later blows a smoldering aside. With the three-man horn front line, a blues-based strain and a steady shuffle, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing” sounds like an electrified Art Blakey tune. “Fowser Time” continues along that same vibe but with a tauter rhythm, and the song’s namesake solos unhurriedly and confidently like a seasoned vet.
“No Filter” is a great groove mated to a fetching melody, with another Davis/Magnarelli appearance and further boosted by Cherry’s Montgomery mannerisms. Jones shows a knack for locking down the pulse with taste but for “On My Way,” his refinement is a bit more out front, with multiple fills and a lively trading of fours.
Great organ/guitar combos can deliver the coolness as effectively as they bring the heat, and this one makes good on the cool side with the down tempo “Don’t Let Life Pass You By.” Ken Fowser’s pleadings convince and Charette knows just how much emotion to put into his spotlight.
Right On Time is now available at all the usual online record outlets, via Posi-Tone Records.
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