Tobias Meinhart
"Silent Dreamer"
ENJA Records
One of the best things about reviewing music is putting on a disc by an artist I've never heard of and being blown away by it. "Silent Dreamer," by German saxophonist Tobias Meinhart, is one of the best CD's I've heard this year. Meinhart had racked up a host of awards in Europe before moving to the United States to study with some of New York's top saxophonists. He now resides in Brooklyn and works with a variety of groups. His fourth album, "Silent Dreamer," is not only a vehicle for his bold tenor style, it's also a showcase for his adventurous compositions and gorgeous arrangements.
The album is also brimming with superb solos and group playing by some familiar players, like trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and bassist Orlando Le Fleming, and some less familiar but equally powerful musicians. Yago Vazquez is excellent on piano, and Justin Carroll makes the synthesizer wail. Charles Altura crosses over into rock-fusion territory on every guitar solo, and Phil Donkin and Jesse Simpson are a formidable rhythm section on acoustic and electric bass and powerhouse drums.
