May 3–10, 2001

music picks|jazz

Don Braden’s Contemporary Standards Ensemble

The "standard" songbook has been revisited, revised and reapportioned dozens of times in recent years, with wildly inconsistent results. So Don Braden’s latest sextet project comes as a pleasant surprise; low on gimmickry, the concept actually yields solid playing and a few smart arrangements. Steely Dan’s "Kid Charlemagne" benefits greatly from Ralph Peterson’s no-nonsense second-line drumming, while Stevie Wonder’s "Overjoyed" gets a bright Latin treatment (and a lean trumpet solo by Terrell Stafford). Even the lesser choices (e.g., Roberta Flack’s "Feel Like Making Love") manage to avoid syrupy overstatement. Braden’s tenor perfectly suits the whole enterprise, speaking modern vernacular with an old-school accent.

—Nate Chinen

Sat., May 5 & Sun., May 6, 9& 11 p.m., call for prices. Zanzibar Blue, Broad & Walnut Sts., 215-732-4500, www.zanzibarblue.com.