Featured Artist: Rob Lockart

CD Title: Parallel Lives

Year: 2007

Record Label: Origin Records

Style: Straight-Ahead / Classic

Musicians:

Rob Lockart (tenor sax), Bill Cunliffe (piano), Jeff DiAngelo (bass), Joe La Barbera (drums), Bob Sheppard (tenor sax), Larry Koonse (guitar)

Review:

Refreshing, engaging, and stimulating only begin to describe Rob Lockart’s debut CD Parallel Lives. Lockart’s inventive solos reveal the style, class, and soul of a finely polished musician. He says more in one chorus than the rest of us say all day. Parallel Lives is a solid winner!

Lockart’s saxophone is not new to our ears. He is a regular in the Los Angeles scene where he has recorded for TV, movies, and commercials. He has performed with the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Tom Harrell Big Band, Doc Severinsen, and many more too numerous to mention. Aside from his musical training at the University of Texas and the Eastman School of Music, Lockart has also studied with Dave Holland, Dave Liebman, Al Regni, Joe Allard, and Ramon Ricker.

Parallel Lives demonstrates an astounding sense of artistry. Lockart’s tenor sax is backed by an ensemble swinging with talent. “All Or Nothing At All” and “Everything Happens To Me” are well known standards that shimmer in the hands of this group. The other six tracks are Lockart originals. His writing is unbelievably fresh, but so sublime, resplendent, and flowing, reminiscent of the great standards we already know and love. Let’s hope this is not the last we hear of Rob Lockart.

Tracks:

All Or Nothing At All, Nightmare Thief, First Steps, Parallel Lives, Waiting for Truth, The Last of the Red Note Riders, Everything Happens To Me, It’s Not Over Yet

Record Label Website: http://www.origin-records.com

Reviewed by: Jim Shulstad

Click here for printer-friendly version of review.

Send this page to a friend.