Relaxin' in Milwaukee (1999)

About this title: Milwaukee native Fred Horn is an unabashed admirer of bop, a preference reflected in most of what one hears on this album. A mature player, his clear improvised solos never completely discard the melody line as on "Scrapple From Apple," a performance that recalls those fine bop groups from the late '50s and early '60s. For his own compositions, Horn takes a somewhat different turn on "Free Freddy" as he moves closer to free jazz, à la Ornette Coleman. Here Barry Velleman's piano hacks out the tonal path as Horn, Rick Kremer, and Mike Schlick follow along making suggestions now and then on ... read more

Tracks:

1. Scrapple from the Apple [Parker]
2. Doxy [Rollins]
3. A Nitie Gown in Tunisia [Horn]
4. When I Fall in Love [Heyman/Young]
5. Fred's Blues [Horn]
6. Pent Up House [Rollins]
7. Chunk of Funk [Horn]
8. Bluesology [Horn]
9. Free Freddy [Horn]
10. Invitation [Kaper/Webster]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.