(Hard Bop, Post-Bop, Mainstream Jazz) Peter Weniger vs. Martin Wind (w/ Bill Mays, Matt Wilson) - The Soccerball - 2001, MP3, 320 kbps

Too often, CDs that are mostly originals offer more preening than melody. This isn't the case with The Soccerball, a delightful collection that is 76.9-percent original and 100-percent interesting. Bill Mays, Martin Wind, and Matt Wilson have recorded together before, notably on Out in PA, another fine showcase for the trio's compositional talents. Here Peter Weniger brings his soulful, funky, tenor voice to their explorations, which sometimes involve tinkering with familiar themes: the joyous title tune is loosely based on the chord progressions of Nat Adderley's "Work Song," while Weniger's "Garrigue" is an inversion on the changes of "What Is This Thing Called Love?" It's very effective as a bass/horn duo, as is "Pete's Repeat," written by Wind, a lyrical bassist and composer who also contributes the beautiful "Little Prayer," "For My Lady," and "Early Morning Blues," a charming musical reference to his son's bad wake-up moods during his "terrible twos.") "Antonini" is a mountaintop village in Corsica; here, it's a Weninger original where his extended, thoughtful solo opens into a gentle Caribbean/New Orleans roll as the band kicks in. Mays' moody "Kaleidoscope" and the lush "Ballad for Barbara" are notable; there's also a nice, flowing take on "It Never Entered My Mind," and the group has great fun with Bird's "Ah Leu Cha/Scrapple from the Apple." The only odd choice here is Matt Wilson's "Droolin'," which he describes as "sonic experimentation." All told, however, this is a tuneful CD with great energy and considerable finesse in both writing and playing.