Now this is the kind of free album that gets the jazz fan in me excited, a straight ahead hard bop session harking back to the golden days of Charlie Parker and Clifford Brown. Droopy Contini is an alto saxophonist who is well schooled in the bebop techniques of Parker and other great sax players such as Art Pepper. Surpriscording is a spontaneous no nonsense session of mainstream jazz improvisation. Droopy sails through two Parker standards, a tune by Clifford Brown, the more contemporary “The Beat Goes On”, and a original song titled “Captain Hugo”. All tracks are enjoyable except for “Beat” which goes on too long despite the musicians’ earnest efforts to revive a rock tune that was always rather boring. The three standards are immensely better and Droopy’s modal jazz track is the best of the lot showing a gifted composer as well as a exceptional improviser. He is aptly backed by Pov Weyer on piano, Ed Mars on drums and Slikk Tim on bass.

The album is available from Jamendo in VBR MP3.

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