Northwoods Improvisers - Fanfares [CD]

The Northwoods Improvisers return with a new album. Fanfares is the latest effort with a quintet/sextet lineup that includes the veteran rhythm section of Mike Johnston and Nick Ashton and reunites them with a fierce front line of saxophonists Dominic Bierenga and Donovan Boxey, and the strings of Jack O'Brien and Mike Khoury. While the group touches on the spiritual in many ways, they also bring forth fire in the form of the winds duo of Bierenga and Boxey. The music has the strong rhythm section listeners will instantly recognize with Johnston's deep bass lines and Ashton's powerful drumming. Johnston, O'Brien and Khoury form a lush string section enhancing the compositions.