Contemporary, swinging, catchy and not just trodden paths, that's what guitarist Dave Stryker's CD "Nomad" with Bill Warfield's big band sounds like. And the nice thing about this CD is that all the big band songs are written by Stryker himself. Contributors included bassists Scott Colley and Lynn Seaton, trumpet player Randy Brecker, saxophonists Steve Slagle and Walt Weiskopf and drummer Jeff
… Hirschfield. Very strong opens the CD with the 'groovy' "Blues for Brother Jack (organist Jack McDuff is meant). Stryker plays a sublime soloing in the title track and the soloing of Stryker in all songs does not come at the expense of the robust sound of the very well arranged big band played in. A wonderful waltz is "Matthew's waltz", which has a place for flute and clarinet. Very nice is "Listen to your heart". A solid uptempo song, rooted in bebop, is "First strike". In short: an exciting CD that is absolutely worthwhile!more
