Steve Grossman quartet / LOVE IS THE THING

It is widely believed that one of Grossman’s “career best” albums was his May 1985 album Love Is the Thing for Red Records. Accompanied by the Cedar Walton Trio, who were touring Europe at the time, their unequivocal bebop-into-hard bop saw Grossman turn more towards 1950s Sonny Rollins for inspiration than his formative influence John Coltrane. This apparent shift in allegiance is captured on what is probably the album’s finest track, Easy To Love, although his love of Coltrane’s music is not forgotten with the choice of Naima, whose challenging changes are negotiated with aplomb and conviction.