'Foxy'

The latest release and fourth album from tenor saxophonist Jon Irabagon, entitled Foxy, also features drummer Barry Altschul and bassist Peter Brendler. Recorded and mixed by John White at Midtown Sound in New York, NY, Foxy is an uninterrupted performance that has been divided into 11 tracks. Each song title exhibits some facet of the instrument collaboration that occurs within each track.

The title track begins the album with Irabagon’s ultra-speedy tenor saxophone work accompanied by Altschul’s roaring drum play. The intoxicating rhythm and beat of “Foxy” could make a listener imagine a sultry sensual female entering a room and seizing the attention of everyone in it with her breathtaking splendor.

The third track, “Chicken Poxy,” has a similar sounding intro as the title track with Irabagon again showing off his swift, yet precise, tenor saxophone prowess and Altschul’s urgent drum work. Then, there is a small portion of the song where Irabagon alters his saxophone to sound a tad off key and breathy.

In addition, Altschul’s drum work gets even more rapid and booming, which could be their musical interpretation of the highly contagious disease that you get once in your life and never have to worry about again.

The fifth track, “Hydroxy,” has Irabagon maintaining his quick tempo tenor saxophone play, but this time he utilizes lower notes on the musical scale. Also, Altschul’s drumming seems more pronounced with frequent cymbal crashes throughout the song.

On “Tsetse,” the seventh track on Foxy, Irabagon’s hasty tenor saxophone work and Altschul’s echoing drum work each seem to have actual thought out melodies rather than just random notes being played as some listeners might feel describes the previous tracks up to this point.

“Epoxy,” the ninth track, has Irabagon’s tenor saxophone play sounding much more prominent than Altschul’s resonant drumming. Peter Brendler’s smooth bass work can be heard in the background giving this track a more refined and polished flow than the other tracks.

In short, since Foxy is one long continuous performance that was broken up, much of Irabagon’s tenor sax play and Altschul’s drumming may sound similar on most of the tracks, thus making the listener turn off the album because of such reiteration. Also, Brendler’s bass play seems virtually undetectable as Irabagon blasts away on his tenor saxophone and Altschul bangs his drums in a frenzy.

So, while all three musicians exhibit their incredible knack and expertise on their respective instruments, each track with its repetitiveness and seemingly wild, no-holds barred haphazardness might cause listeners to steer clear of this crafty release.