Soul Tree “It is wise to cultivate the tree which bears fruit in our soul”. This maxim of Henry David Thoreau stands in the booklet of “Soul Tree” and packs as best you can the sense of this work that marks the return as leader of the excellent guitarist Ed Cherry Posi-tone label.
The most canonical of the Organ Trio, completed by Kyle Koehler to Hammond and drummer Anwar Marshall, wanders with quiet Paws in vast territories, which include the famous “Central Park West” coltraniano as well as the forgotten “Ode To Angela” by Harold Land, and even songs by Freddie Hubbard, Dave Brubeck, Mal Waldron, a couple of originals hit the spot and the delightful rereading located on the opening track, album/manifesto “Let The Music Take Your Mind” by Kool And The Gang’s repertoire.
The sexagenarian And Cherry does not enjoy some great popularity despite the stunning curriculum including ben 14 years alongside Dizzy Gillespie and presence in engravings consigned to history, so that this “Soul Tree” can be an opportunity to get acquainted with this jazz master’s class has distilled in a personal way the style of George Benson , Pat Martino and, especially, of the beloved Grant Green.
Some sort of atavistic candor, punctuated by reassuring cadences and infused with blues, away thousand miles from intellectual reverberations, illuminates this “Soul Tree” that runs its elegant branches with honesty and naturalness in dialogue “in the tradition”, always relaxed among the guitar of the leader and the Philadelphia organist Kyle Koheler, former rising star worthy of consideration, already distinguished himself alongside Bobby Watson and Jimmy Heat , as shown in the original “Rachel’s Step”, distilled soul jazz with Latin, and even more so in conclusion, liberating “Peace” by Horace Silver, high priest, we believe in blessing, this stylistic scope whose whole job fits ideally.
The smoothness of the episodes make the whole extremely enjoyable disc, and among other things guitar unnecessarily complex or enveloped on themselves, the overall effect that Ed Cherry & Co. reach is to an invigorating breath of fresh air among the branches of the tree of the soul.     – Fabio Castro