Album Review: Vortex from Kenny Shanker
Album: Vortex Artist: Kenny Shanker Label: Wise Cat Records Website: www.kennyshanker.com and www.wisecatrecords.com Saxophonist Kenny Shanker is back with his third release Vortex and his first outing on Wise Cat Records. From the bustling, urban-like activity of the title track to the leisurely wandering stroll of “Lulu’s Back in Town” and the waltzing cantor of “Winter Song,” Shanker’s playing describes images that listeners can easily envision, each relatable to real world scenes. The bowing and refracting of Yoshi Waki’s bass along “Winter Song” adds another element alongside Shanker’s pendulum-swinging saxophone toots, while the frenzied pace of his saxophone fomenting “Hunter” is joined by the rustling movements of Mike Eckroth’s keys and Daisuke Abe’s frothy guitar riffs. “Rumble” lowers the tempo to a cruising gait, and “Nightfall” slows the pace to an introspective musing as Shanker’s saxophone imbues a nocturnal shimmer over the melodic soundscap...