Album Notes

Cold Spring Jazz Quartet

Mark Osteen, tenor, alto and soprano saxophones and vocals
Brian B. Smith, piano
Gary Kerner, bass
Greg Mack, drums and percussion

For over eight years Cold Spring Jazz Quartet has appeared regularly in nightclubs, restaurants and bookstores in the Baltimore-Washington area, winning a broad and loyal following. Now both devoted fans and new listeners can enjoy their music at home with the release of their long-awaited CD, Same Place. Different Time.

The thirteen-song CD presents CSJQ's trademark diversity of styles. So you'll hear passionate performances of classic bop and hard bop instrumentals such as Bud Powell's "Webb City," Dexter Gordon's "Cheesecake," and Kenny Dorham's "Short Story," but you'll also be delighted by pianist Brian Smith's four distinctive compositions: the lovely title ballad; his two Latin-flavored pieces, "Quiet Are the Nights" and "Imagine That"; and his haunting 3/4 tune "Winter Wind." You'll also tap your feet to the group's exciting renditions of saxophonist Mark Osteen's gospel-inflected romp, "The Amen Corner," and his update of the twelve-bar blues form in "Cam's Blues."

But what sets the group apart from other straight ahead quartets are Osteen's appealing vocals which, reflecting the influence of singers such as Nat "King" Cole, Mark Murphy and Kurt Elling, lend songs such as "Doxy," "The Old Country," and "It's All Right With Me" their piquant flavor.

Mixing vocals and instrumentals, classics and new compositions, CSJQ offers a rich menu for any music lover.