Mike Garson has invested in star power to punch up The Oxnard Sessions, Volume Two. The disc features a smaller group (piano/bass/drums/sax) and gives Garson a lot more solo room this time out. Drummer Ralph Humphrey shows more facility with a backbeat than Billy Mintz, who does appear on one alternate take. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal, a powerhouse type whose spurts and squeals add some excitement to even his most shrill and pop-oriented solos, also gets room to show his talents. The selections are more jazz and standard ... Read More
Mike Garson has invested in star power to punch up The Oxnard Sessions, Volume Two. The disc features a smaller group (piano/bass/drums/sax) and gives Garson a lot more solo room this time out. Drummer Ralph Humphrey shows more facility with a backbeat than Billy Mintz, who does appear on one alternate take. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal, a powerhouse type whose spurts and squeals add some excitement to even his most shrill and pop-oriented solos, also gets room to show his talents. The selections are more jazz and standard-oriented than before, and Garson and his mates demonstrate much more integrity than at any time on the previous release. ~ Ron Wynn, Rovi Read Less
