Tug of War

by Greg TurnerOn Philadelphia-based trumpeter John Swana's sixth Criss Cross recording, the Philadelphia-based trumpeter joins forces with drummer and fellow Philadelphian Byron Landham and other musical peers -- tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist David Hazeltine, and bassist Dwayne Burno -- to perform a good mixture of up-tempo swingers, medium swingers, and ballads, with seven of the nine selections written by Swana. Highlights include "Freddie" -- dedicated to Freddie Hubbard but reminiscent of Wayne Shorter's classic composition "Black Nile" -- "Vic Arpeggio," a humorous swinger named after a character on a TV comedy, the slow blues "Puss 'n Boots," and the up-tempo "Quick Fix." Tug of War exemplifies the high-quality modern mainstream jazz usually found on this Dutch label and is a welcome addition to the Swana discography.