Corey Wilkes Quintet

This set was not just Mr. Wilkes and a group of sidemen. Each member of this ensemble leads his own group, in addition to performing with some of Chicago's finest musicians. They included, saxophonist Kevin Nabors, bassist Junius Paul, drummer Charles "Rick" Heath (recently returned to Chicago after 2 years on the road with the play "Color Purple), and former Miles Davis keyboardist Robert "Baabe" Irving, III.

Throughout this gorgeous evening this "equal opportunity" band took turns demonstrating their skills on extended solos without" wearing out their welcome" , or overplaying. These cats know each other so well and have played together in this group or other configurations for several years. They seamlessly move from one solo to another without missing a beat.

Corey fronts and/or plays in several bands that are very diverse and in many ways quite different, yet this ensemble easily is this listener's favorite. Evident by the audience attendance and response throughout the evening ,this listener was not alone. They were simply fantastic!!!!

Drummer Rick Heath drew several loud ovations with his rapid fire drumming on a number of occasions. Nabors continues to expand his repertoire with the mellow sound of his soprano sax. Although he primarily played the tenor on this gig, the soprano is becoming more prevalent with this budding star. He and Corey also blasted their horns in unison without stepping on one another's notes.

Although bassist Paul maintained the beat throughout the set , it was on "Fee Fie Foe Fom" that Junius demonstrated why he's becoming one of Chicago's fastest rising bassist. Junius plays both electric and upright with equal ability, on this night , he jammed on the upright.

As always, it was a pleasure to watch the veteran "Baabe" work with these "young lions",just as he did when directing one of Miles' last bands.

Last , but of course not least,kudos to maestro Wilkes for another job well done. He continues to grow and expand , as is evident by his recent recognition by downbeat magazine as one of the world's "young rising star" trumpeter. Keep up the good work CDub.