Steve Davis, Gettin’ It Done (Posi-Tone)
If you’re looking for a killer straightahead record, grab a copy of Steve Davis’ Gettin’ It Done. The trombone veteran has a blue-chip pedigree as a sideman with the likes of Art Blakey and Jackie McLean—and a fine string of releases as a leader, too. Davis proudly shows off his hard-bop chops as Gettin’ It Done swings through eight solid tunes in a sextet setting. Billy Williams, Larry Willis and Nat Reeves drive the groove on drums, piano and bass, respectively. The horn section—led by Davis with Josh Bruneau on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Mike DiRubbo on alto sax—digs into some tasty lines and fine soloing. The title track serves as a perfect example. It’s a Davis original, and a burner that would have fit in nicely with Blakey’s Jazz Messengers back in the day. The head of this up-tempo blast delivers some tight horn work over a driving beat, and then it’s a round-robin of crazy good solos by DiRubbo, Bruneau, Davis and Willis, finishing with a blistering outro. On the flip side, the band chills out on another Davis original, “Longview.” Willis is the epitome of touch and taste, whether soloing or comping, and that’s especially true on this tune. Williams adds a fine drum solo here as well. The group showcases its grace throughout the program, whether dancing through Davis’ six original tunes, John Coltrane’s “Village Blues” or Bobby Hebb’s 1966 pop chestnut “Sunny.” It all makes for a foot-tapping, pleasant listen.
