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STATE OF MIND
(MILESTONE)
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Saxophonist Dave Ellis doesn’t really distinguish himself on this straight-ahead jazz date put together by legendary producer Orrin Keepnews. Not that he’s lost — he’s a facile player with a rich, sometimes Rollins-like tone. But Ellis, whose first splash was as a member of the Charlie Hunter Trio and who then spent four years touring with Bob Weir’s Ratdog, appears to have little to say in this vernacular. Surrounded by two stellar combos culled by Keepnews and anchored by pianist Mulgrew Miller, he generates the most heat when challenged by sizzling alto player Vincent Herring on three tracks — John Coltrane’s hard-driving "Grand Central," Miller’s "Soul-Leo," and the Jazz Messenger–esque blues Ellis named for his first-born, "Isabella Blue." Take away those cuts and there’s hardly a memorable moment in the set, even with the tweaking of the Gershwin standard "Summertime" and the unearthing of relatively obscure compositions by Charlie Parker and Horace Silver. The opening original, "Not That You Asked," gets the disc off to a spirited and funky start before the rest melts into a mostly forgettable affair.
