The Giuseppi Logan Quintet

In a word: soapy. That's Giuseppi Logan's saxophone tone in one word, although soap, when you think on it, can do so much. His intonation, indeed, squirts away from notes like a bar of Irish Spring clutched too tightly in the shower. Logan spent several decades homeless, mentally ill, and presumed dead even among the few (and proud) who held his sacred early ESP-Disk titles. I call that irreversible psychological (and probably physical) damage.

But suds also cleanse, purify, and (kept away from those mucous membranes) effectively lubricate. Spin this disc three times and your inner ear slides up to what Logan's got left. Even if it doesn't, I'm still sticking up for this one on the same principle as those Bud Powell records post-1954, where, even if you lamented the dilution of Bud's piano chops, his writing still ran down in your mind. And even at his weakest, Bud’s records had Sam Jones, Philly Jo Jones (no relation), Kenny Clarke, and like folk leaving imprints virtually by virtue of breathing. So, you sought and caught every breath you could.

Their captain's mighty sickness notwithstanding, Logan’s troops rally to blow through his orders. "Steppin'" manifests an M.C. Escher melody line, descending, descending, but never bottoming out. "Bop Dues" casts back to a classic head melody evoking Diz 'n' Bird's salad days; the grit between Logan and Matt Lavelle's trumpet lends distinction. "Freddie Freeloader," a few steps from Miles's restrained elegance, slides and skids like 50 fledging ice skaters. Logan sings a short ballad at the end, mutters "Okay...thank you..." and out. I hope he's not going gently.

• Album: The Giuseppi Logan Quintet (2010)
• Artist: The Guiseppi Logan Quintet
• Label: Tompkins Square
• Songs: (1) Steppin' (2) Around (3) Modes (4) Over The Rainbow (5) Bop Dues (6) Blue Moon (7) Freddie Freeloader (8) Love Me Tonight