(Jazzed Media)

Saxophonist Steve Heckman’s latest finds him joining forces with a tremendous lineup of musical talents for one outstanding recording. On Born to Be Blue,  Heckman is joined by guitar great Howard Alden, drummer Akira Tana, bassist Marcus Shelby and pianist Matt Clark. The menu of tunes here is almost entirely standards, featuring selections from Mel Torme, Irving Berlin, Bill Evans, Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer. Heckman’s deference to Alden on many of the tunes works well and when they’re playing together the blend of sound is superb. The whole unit fits together nicely and you can tell than you’re listening to pros at work here. This is a fantastic production.