New High is Larry Coryell's second album on Highnote Records and it's a winner. While his previous record was serious and contemplative, New High is more playful and hard-edged.The first thing you notice about this recording is its tightness. These guys play very well together and seem to be loving it. Besides the excellent production work of Rudy Van Gelder, much of the crispness can be attributed to Buster Williams on bass and Yoron Israel on drums. These guys are aggressive, expressive and dead-on accrurate. Both contribute excellent solos as well.
In the solo department, each player brings their own tasty bag of tricks, walking a fine line between the modern and the traditional. Ronnie Mathews on keys is a seasoned veteran with a leaning toward block chords and fast fingerwork. He brings a great sense of style to the preceedings. Mark Sherman on vibes weaves his way through stylistic solos in the tradition of Milt Jackson. Shunzo Ono on the horn is exquisite, playing a truly captivating duet with Coryell on Old Folks. And Coryell challenges his audiences with his winding eighth-note fret work. Slinding in and out modes, blending Wes with Kenny and a lot of Larry, we feel a strong sense of swing.
Each of the cuts on this album is well conceived, but without the pretensions of a lot of the "smooth jazz" out there. Though each track is a jewel, the soulful blues of John Charles and the slippery rhythms of the title track are most noteworthy.
