Roman St. James, indiemonkey.com

Fearless Jones is an excellent hard bop/modern jazz album. The band is co-led by saxophonist Robert Lewis and bassist Frank Duvall. Drummer Quentin Baxter and pianist Kevin Bales round out this fine quartet. The first thing that is apparent when you listen to this recording is the technical mastery each player has over his instrument. But that should come as no surprise - both Lewis and Duvall hold master's degrees in music and have each taught jazz at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

The next thing one can't help but notice when listening to this album is how well the band plays together as a unit. They are amazingly tight, so tight that at times their communication seems almost telepathic. Of the ten songs on this album, six were written by Lewis and the remaining four were written by Duvall. Often times when a band releases an album of all originals, the weakest component of the album is the songs. I'm happy to say that's not the case on this album. While I wouldn't predict that any of these songs will become jazz standards, they are all fine compositions. The tunes are sophisticated without being overly complex, melodic without being too "smooth" and they swing like crazy.

While this band is co-led by the saxophonist and the bassist, it's clearly a 'sax' driven album. That works quite well, as Lewis has a beautifully round, smoky tone that can take on a bit of edge when called for. Whether he's playing a sentimental ballad like "Hush", a New Orleans-styled blues like "Steppin' Out" or snappy swinger like "Esperanca", he knows how to make each song sing. Of course, it would all be for naught without the support of Duvall on bass, Baxter on drums and Bales on piano. Not only are they excellent rhythm players, they are all great soloists in their own right.