On his second album, the young Adam Rafferty is again joined by veteran bop pianist Mike Longo, along with bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Ray Mosca. Kicking off with Rafferty's medium-slow blues theme "Bubu," the quartet settles right away into a deep groove; the rock-solid rhythm section sets Rafferty up in style, subtly framing his singing lines at every turn. The group's exceptional time and feel animate the three other Rafferty originals, "Allegro in B Flat 7" (blues with a bridge), "Fulvia" (minor-key waltz), and ...
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On his second album, the young Adam Rafferty is again joined by veteran bop pianist Mike Longo, along with bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Ray Mosca. Kicking off with Rafferty's medium-slow blues theme "Bubu," the quartet settles right away into a deep groove; the rock-solid rhythm section sets Rafferty up in style, subtly framing his singing lines at every turn. The group's exceptional time and feel animate the three other Rafferty originals, "Allegro in B Flat 7" (blues with a bridge), "Fulvia" (minor-key waltz), and "Samba for You" (bright Latin). The chemistry between Longo and Rafferty on "Allegro" is remarkable, as are Longo's out of left field references to Tadd Dameron's "Good Bait" during his piano solo. The standards of the date are "I'll Remember April," "Cherokee" (played in both B flat and D flat), Jobim's "Triste," Dizzy Gillespie's "Birks' Works," John Coltrane's "Central Park West," and a closing solo seven-string guitar arrangement of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life." Although his chops are considerable, Rafferty makes a point of avoiding technical displays, seeking instead to lock in with his band and make every moment count. At times, however, listeners may wonder whether he's holding back, perhaps in deference to the daunting company. Still, his ability to sustain the spark of cohesion and inspiration among the group marks him as an artist of exceptional musicality and depth. ~ David R. Adler, Rovi
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