Surrendered
For his second album on Columbia (followingGo See the World), saxophonist David S. Ware has continued moving from the Herculean pyrotechnics that have been his stock-in-trade for three decades to a more melodic sound. The saxophonist still continues the work ofJohn Coltrane's last phase, but he has found the same balance of freewheeling energy and arching melody thatCharles LloydandAndrew Hillhave. Within this new musical space, the leader and his talented quartet easily move from slow, impressionistic "Peace Celestial" to the rollicking title track to the urgent "Glorified Calypso" with offhand ease. Of particular note for the band is the stunning "African Drums," the 17-minute closing tune that continually turns a simple melody inside out in much the same way that Coltrane and Co. did with "My Favorite Things." David S. Ware has reinvented himself onSurrendered, not because he needed to, but because an artist has to continually do so. And there is no doubt that this is indeed art.--Tad Hendrickson