Bud Shank and Bill Mays

Beyond the Red Door

(Jazz Media)

At the conclusion of a particularly aggressive, unexpectedly quirky rendition of “The Touch of Your Lips” – an old, played-out standard if ever there was one – saxophonist Bud Shank guffaws into the mike. “Take that, Ray Noble,” he heartily chides the long-gone composer. But even without verbalizing his individual credo of 60-odd professional years, Shank’s playing shows it’s all about attitude, and he still has the chops to convey his.

The man is an inspiration. With a style seeped in bebop and beyond, his swinging alto huffs and puffs its way out of some boxed corners with style and aplomb. No chance is too great. On a Zoot Sims’ “Red Door,” Shank’s time gets greasy while going after a few far-flung ideas – affecting more than a few Zoots-isms along the way. He then deftly trades choruses, eights, and fours with Bill Mays’ dynamic piano.

The duo’s well-documented balladry is a thing of beauty, aptly conveyed via the tastefully colored voicings and rhythmic inflections that are Mays’. His gorgeous touch and sensitive harmonic sense place him in the forefront of yet another crowded field. On the medley of “The Wind/The Peacocks,” Shank and Mays alternate virile intensity with sparse, plaintive phrases that ebb and flow as naturally as the cool Pacific. In fact, Beyond the Red Door might well be thought of as a sublime beach read, continually unfolding as with the best of novels. Relax on the sand under a huge umbrella, open this highly sensual book and enjoy. Gorgeous stuff.

- James Rozzi