Chad Edwards: Wyoming Roads

In his performing career, pianist Chad Edwards has probably heard more wisecracks and quips about his actually being a retired rocket scientist than there are stars in the Cosmos. However, rest assured—as he has done in his parallel and now formal career, and is presented in Wyoming Roads—his keyboard and compositional talents certainly stand on their own. It is a fine nine track collection of five Edwards' originals and four Great American Songbook classics, with the pianist backed up by fine L.A. personnel.

The title track opener is a light minor key bossa nova with melancholic overtones. Edwards is expressive on this over Hussain Jiffry's bass and Kevin Winard's drums. Robert Kyle offers a lyrical soprano sax solo. Wayne Shorter's "Footprints" is delivered by Kyle who also provides another mellifluous ride. This is an intense track with Edwards offering a fine solo. Drummer Winard and bassist Jiffry lay down solidly. Funk is the order of the day with "Momma Wanna Llama," an Eddie Harris-like offering referencing Edwards' wife's fave animal. Edwards sits at the B-3 here and later, drives things home with a soulful solo. A hip track. "Alone Together" dives into a deep Latin groove with Kyle stating. It's an interesting adaption of the ballad and very much a highlight effort.

Edwards piano chops are tasteful and subtl y intense, yet highly lyrical and playful. No faux—or unnecessary reliance on -technique here, his solos are well-developed and his comping behind Kyle is unobtrusive. The supporting players here are marvelously engaged and add significantly to the album's appeal.

Another bossa nova, "Azure Sky, Sapphire Sky" has Kyle playing the attractive melody on flute. Edwards stretches out nicely with a fine ride here. "Autumn Leaves" is a killer up-tempo Latin burner. Like the aforementioned "Alone Together," this is a superb adaption of a workhorse. Jiffry and Winard support brilliantly here and across the entire session. Edwards cooks up an outstanding solo, too. The attractively lilting waltz, "Trey," hoops slang for a three-pointer, and has Kyle overdubbed on the melody. There is some Vince Guaraldi influence here, for certain. "Wave" gets a slower, yet more traditional presentation, with Edwards covering nicely. His block chords here are Red Garland-esque. Guitarist Steve Gregory joins. The light Latin original, "Tierney" is penned for Edwards' daughter's middle name, not for vocalist Tierney Sutton, with whom Edwards has performed. It is a tasteful close.

Wyoming Roads is not particle physics or the like. It is an easy-to-take journey, a most enjoyable album offered by a very fine musician and composer and his very talented posse.

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