Record Tracklist
- Don’t Ask Me Why
- Don’t Ask Me Why, Pt. 2
- Thump and Growl
- Fours and Twos
- Ellwood
- Ray’s Waltz
- Anybody Home?
- Exit Strategy
- Don’t Ask Me Why, Pt. 3
“Anybody Home?” brings together two of today’s top tenor saxophonists, Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone, to collaborate in a highly creative modern jazz context. It also features Gabriel Guerrero (piano) and Luther Gray (drums). Six of the nine tunes are composed by Gertz, one by Bergonzi, one by Garzone (Fours and Twos, previously recorded with Joe Lovano), and one is completely improvised (Exit Strategy), keeping everyone on their toes, including you, the listener!
Gertz has knack for putting exceptional and exceptionally complimentary voices together in his bands. He did it in his first recording quintet, where Jerry Bergonzi’s tenor and John Abercrombie’s guitar were paired in the front line; In his successor unit, with Ken Cervenka’s or Phil Grenadier’s trumpet in place of guitar; and in his cooperative Trio-Now, where Gertz shares writing duty with pianist Steve Hunt. He may have outdone himself on Anybody Home?, which brings together two of Gertz’s most venerable musical associates, Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone. – Bob Blumenthal, 2014