Confirmation – 1981
Richie Cole
The boppish altoist and his Alto Madness group with pianist Bobby Enriquez
Click here to Support Jazz on the Tube
Richie Cole helped bring back bebop in the 1970s and ‘80s, playing the classic standards with brilliant technique, an appealing tone, and loads of enthusiasm.
In 1981 Cole met his match when he teamed up with pianist Bobby Enriquez, who was nicknamed “The Wild Man.”
Enriquez’s percussive playing, which often involved hitting notes with his fist and elbow, could be quite crazy but somehow it worked musically.
On an uptempo version of Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation,” Cole is featured throughout with his quintet which also includes guitarist Bruce Forman, but check out what Enriquez plays behind him.
-Scott Yanow
Merry Christmas from Jazz on the Tube