New York 07-Jan-05

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=15871

Scott Robinson has been affected a bit by the Roland Kirk syndrome. His interest in and ability to play just about every saxophone ever invented—and some that haven't—has obscured his talent to listeners more comfortable with musicians that can be identified by a single instrument, in spite of being very active recently both as a leader and member of Joe Lovano's Nonet.

Pianist Emil Viklicky is the best known jazz musician working in the Czech Republic today but virtually unknown outside Central Europe, despite having developed a delightfully original style by combining elements of modern jazz with the melodies of Moravian folk songs and having been commissioned to compose a piece for “Let Freedom Swing,” part of the festival that marked the opening of the new building that houses Jazz at Lincoln Center. Fortunately Summertime, recorded for Radio Prague, is available to shed light on these two unjustly under-recognized artists.

The title track leads off with Robinson blowing softly and intimately on cornet before switching to tenor to play the familiar melody. He alternates so seamlessly between the two horns that even though the trumpet and saxophone are never heard together it's hard to believe there aren't two musicians at work. Bassist Frantisek Uhlir takes the lead on “East of the Sun,” plinking out the lyrics pizzicato-style before Robinson comes in on the bossa nova beat. On “Just for Us,” Uhlir's sharp solo offsets Robinson's trad soprano. “In a Sentimental Mood” pops out of the speakers when Robinson's full-force tenor takes over from his wispy preamble and Viklicky's opening light-touch accompaniment.

“Never Been in Love” is taken from the dependable Tadd Dameron songbook, and Robinson can't resist manipulating a wind machine he found in the studio on his own “Dark Composition.” By the time Robinson and Viklicky pair up for the reflective coda, “Under Our Window,” tastefulness and professionalism have been stamped on every cut.

~ Jeff Stockton

New York December 2004

http://www.jazztimes.com/reviews/cd_reviews/detail.cfm?article_id=15217

After two decades on the jazz scene, Scott Robinson´s gee-whiz factor is well established. By now everyone knows that he plays an astonishing array of reed and brass instruments. The evidence of this album is that Robinson´s stylistic flexibility and creativity are as impressive as his arsenal of axes.

On  Summertime ( available from www.jazz4all.com), with Emil Viklicky´s trio, Robinson confines himself to two saxophones, cornet and wind machine. The repertoire is a mixture of standards, folk tunes and compositions by Robinson and Viklický. This is one case in which originals hold their own in quality and interest.

One of the best contemporary pianists, Emil Viklicky´s soloing and comping, his touch, voicings and intervals have a good deal in common with fleet, tasteful pianists like Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Rowles and Bill Charlap.

His individuality is deeply informed by the music of his native land, and particularly by that of Moravia. He and bassist Frantisek Uhlir and the Slovakian drummer Laco Tropp operate with Robinson on a remarkable level of musical connection.

The CD´s highlights include a refractive treatment of “Summertime” with a splendid bowed solo by Uhlir, and Robinson brittle and probing on muted cornet. The expressiveness the quartet achieves through dynamics in Viklicky´s adaptation of the Moravian folk song “Pod Nasima Okny” (“Under Our Windows”), the rolling bop felicities of Robinson on soprano sax strolling with Uhlir in the bassist´s tricky “Just for Us” (“Just Friends”), Robinson´s inspired tenor on “Out of Nowhere” and “East of the Sun”, with apparent references to Getz and Perkins, his hints at Ben Webster on “In a Sentimental Mood”, the fluidity of his cornet work on Viklicky´s “Scott´s Blues”, the passion and peaceful resolution of the tenor sax-piano duet on a second version of “Under Our Windows.” Robinson alternates between tenor sax and the wind machine on his “Dark Composition”, an abstraction that may portray a stormy night.I have found few recent CDs more satisfying than this one.

Doug Ramsey