专辑简介

Phillip Martin专辑介绍：by Alex HendersonYoung saxophone players can get a variety of bad advice. Bop snobs will insist that if you don't sound like you just stepped out of the '50s, you're worthless -- and at the opposite extreme are NAC radio programmers who think that every new saxman who comes along needs to jump on the Kenny G/Najee/Dave Koz bandwagon. Regrettably, much of Fourpoint O falls into that NAC trap; Philip Martin, who turned 25 in 2004, spends a lot of time giving NAC programmers the sort of formulaic, calculated jazz/pop/R&B blend that they crave. Too many of the tracks sound like they were designed to fit on an NAC station alongside Najee, Kenny G and others who were greatly influenced by Grover Washington, Jr. but lack his imagination and sense of adventure. Nonetheless, some of the material on Fourpoint O is decent, and when Martin lets loose -- which is what he does on the reflective "What a Day" and the infectious "Dirty Funk" -- one realizes that he has some potential. So what does Martin need to do to move ahead creatively? He needs to spend more time in the shed. He needs to keep practicing and practicing and really dig into his instrument on a daily basis. He needs to absorb a variety of great saxophonists -- not only R&B-influenced heavyweights like Washington, David Sanborn, Houston Person, Joe Farrell, Gene Ammons and Eddie Harris, but also, everyone from Joe Henderson to Gato Barbieri to Booker Ervin. Martin doesn't have to lose the R&B and pop elements -- straight-ahead bop isn't right for everyone -- but he does need to spend more time improvising and less time catering to rigid NAC radio. Fourpoint O has its moments, but Martin is capable of a lot more.