by Alex Henderson
Listen to the Dawn is a rare example of Frank Morgan recording an entire album without a pianist. The veteran alto saxophonist, who was only two weeks away from his 60th birthday when this post-bop/be bop CD was recorded, evidently wanted to try something a bit different -- and it was a move that paid off creatively. Whether he's forming an intimate duo with guitarist Kenny Burrell or forming a quartet with Burrell, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate, Morgan fares quite well without a pianist. This isn't an album of fast tempos and high-speed aggression -- from Burrell offerings like &Listen to the Dawn& and &Remembering& to highly personal interpretations of Gordon Jenkins' &Goodbye,& Duke Ellington's &I Didn't Know About You& (which becomes a sexy bossa nova), and the standard &It Might as Well Be Spring,& Morgan is especially introspective and really takes time to reflect. This compelling CD should not be missed.