Dayna Stephens & Walter Smith III - Reminiscent

For his third Criss Cross release, following 'Today is Tomorrow' and 'I'll Take My Chances' tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens presents a fresh take on the saxophone battle genre, in partnership with rising star Walter Smith III, himself the leader of the critically acclaimed 'III'.

Complemented by a state-of-the-art rhythm section of A-list 30-somethings (Aaron Parks, piano; Mike Moreno, guitar; Harish Raghavan; and Rodney Green, drums) the protagonists juxtapose their distinctive instrumental voices and apply their melody-centric sensibilities to a varied program comprising original music, as well as the iconic two-tenor standard Blues Up And Down and Bill Evans' Blue in Green.

Less a cutting contest than a forum for collective story-telling, 'Reminiscent' is a tour de force that will repay repeated listenings.

Personnel: Dayna Stephens (tenor, soprano and baritone saxophone), Walter Smith III (tenor saxophone), Aaron Parks (piano), Mike Moreno (guitar), Harish Raghavan (bass), Rodney Green (drums)