Lovano developed his self-confidence on jazz’s far frontiers. At 42, he has spent much of his time exploring the zero-gravity zone discovered in the ’60s and early ’70s by the bands of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett. Although he worked in some big bands, he often has chosen to play accompanied only by drums and bass. “I was in a real underground scene,” he said in an interview in his lower Manhattan loft, where he keeps a growing collection of saxophones, drums, gongs and bells. His fourth Blue Note release, “Tenor Legacy,” may be his most down-to-earth-a chance for the veteran “out” player to step inside tunes with more predictable harmonic structures. Here, he teams up with Joshua Redman, another emerging tenor-sax star, and a top-shelf supporting cast. In a tribute to older tenor players-including both their fathers-the two romp through five Lovano compositions and five by others. Recorded over a single day by a group that had never played together before, the session has the spontaneous feel of a couple of late sets in a nightclub. It’s a great introduction to Lovano, an authentic new voice in jazz.
