*** Sax Gordon

HAVE HORN WILL TRAVEL

(Bullseye Blues)

Have Horn Will Travel is not just the title of Sax Gordon's romping debut CD. It's his life. Thirteen years ago, Gordon Beadle was a Berklee student who climbed into an old beater on Sundays and rumbled to the muddled afternoon blues jams at Cambridge's 1369 Club. Today the tenor saxophonist is a top blues sideman, touring the world and recording with an astonishing list of heavyweights.

This blues groovefest puts the spotlight on Gordon's reedy growl, swinging improvisations, and jam-packed musical-trick bag, with backing from guitarist Duke Robillard and the Roomful of Blues horns. Low comedy like the title tune ("We ain't in it for the money, it's the fun AND the money") and "Hey Officer" follow the jump-blues tradition of being danceable without compromising intelligent, entertaining musicianship. Covers are torn from the songbooks of grade-A honkers King Curtis and Arnett Cobb. It's a good thing that Beadle has a horn in his mouth most of the time, because his vocals wouldn't earn him change to ride the T. He honks, he bleats, he coos. It's a blast.

-- Bill Kisliuk