Full Steam Ahead

by Scott YanowFor his seventh Concord recording, all of which are easily recommended, pianist Monty Alexander teams up with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Frank Gant for four bop standards, a pair of bossa-nova tunes, and such unusual jazz vehicles as "Because You're Mine" (taken from a Mario Lanza movie), "Happy Talk," and "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." No matter what its source, the music is all turned into an entertaining and joyous brand of rhythmically exciting straight-ahead jazz, showing off Monty Alexander in good form.