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“SONG EVERLASTING.” Don Pullen-George Adams Quartet. Blue...

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“SONG EVERLASTING.” Don Pullen-George Adams Quartet. Blue Note BLJ-46907. This seasoned unit, led by pianist Pullen and saxophonist Adams, deserves to be a household name to anyone whose idea of mainstream jazz couples a thorough grounding in the jazz tradition with a commitment to high-octane improvisations that strive to stretch boundaries. The five originals on “Song Everlasting,” the group’s second Blue Note album, are infused with a punchy physicality and by an ensemble empathy that enables the quicksilver tempo changes of “Warm Up” to be negotiated with practiced ease. Adams’ lyrical tenor and flute solos spark his Latin-inflected ballad “Serenade for Sariah,” while the brisk backbeat provided by bassist Cameron Browne and drummer Dannie Richmond turns Pullen’s buoyant “1529 Gunn Street” into a downright danceable delight. 4 1/2 stars.

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