Tenor saxophonist
Tim Warfield's third
Criss Cross recording represents a positive step in his growth as an artist. On
Gentle Warrior, he plays with the same musicians who were on his previous two recordings: trumpeter
Terell Stafford, pianist
Cyrus Chestnut, bassist
Tarus Mateen, and drummer
Clarence Penn, with special guest
Nicholas Payton sharing the trumpet duties with
Stafford. Together they perform five
Warfield originals, two different takes of
Penn's
"Subliminal Being," and the standard
"I've Grown Accustomed to Your Face," played with a medium slow groove. This song, along with
Warfield's ballad
"Lani," displays
Warfield's romantic big-toned tenor, while up-tempo burners
"Constant J" and
"Time to Let Go" display a more energetic side of his musical personality. The recording's tour de force is
Warfield's
"The Grim Reaper's Rapture." It begins with a fierce collective
improvisation that segues into a medium tempo, with a six-note repeating phrase played by bass and piano over which the haunting melody is played, and features intense solos by
Warfield and
Chestnut. This recording is an excellent example of
Warfield's versatility as a composer and player, and is one of 1998's best releases. ~ Greg Turner
