The 2011 three-disc anthology
The Soulful Mr. Newman
compiles tracks from all of saxophonist
David "Fathead" Newman
's
Highnote
recordings beginning with 1999's
Chillin'
through 2009's
The Blessing
. A swinging, bluesy, and accomplished jazz saxophonist,
Newman
was a legend by the time he signed with
in the late '90s. For the last ten years of his life -- he died from pancreatic cancer in 2009 --
was showcased by the label, releasing a handful of stellar, straight-ahead, acoustic jazz albums. Not surprisingly, these albums also featured a bevy of stellar backing musicians, including such names as pianists
Cedar Walton
and
John Hicks
, drummer
Winard Harper
, bassist
Peter Washington
, and trombonists
Curtis Fuller
Steve Turre
, among others. From blues to standards and Latin numbers, this is passionate, urbane, and swinging acoustic jazz in small- and large-group settings that perfectly frame
's fluid style. ~ Matt Collar