Gertz: Gertz Quintet: Anybody Home?

Gertz has knack for putting exceptional and exceptionally complimentary voices together in his bands. He did it in his first recording quintet, where Jerry Bergonzi's tenor and John Abercrombie's guitar were paired in the front line; In his successor unit, with Ken Cervenka's or Phil Grenadier's trumpet in place of guitar; and in his cooperative Trio-Now, where Gertz shares writing duty with pianist Steve Hunt. He may have outdone himself on Anybody Home?, which brings together two of Gertz's most venerable musical associates, Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone. Gertz taped his first date as a bandleader in 1991, and has shown a consistency that the vast majority of his better-known contemporaries have failed to match. Ask him about his evolution and he will note that he has become a "less selfish" musician over time, one more aware of his listeners, but this has not lead him to dumb down his music or to monetarily pursue fashionable trends. As with his previous efforts, the music he creates here has the power to evoke feeling, thought and motion. He continues to work at it, and the fruit of his efforts is unmistakable every time he plays" Bob Blumenthal