If it’s true, as many say, that Jazz improvisation is actually story-telling by another name, tenor saxophonist Dan St. Marseille is an accomplished narrator who recounts a number of fascinating stories on Departure. None of them, it should be pointed out, is entirely unfamiliar, as comparable versions have been inscribed for a number of years by saxophonists from Stan Getz through Michael Brecker to Joe Lovano.
On the other hand, in Jazz, as with snowflakes, no two patterns are ever exactly the same, and even though St. Marseille travels a well-worn path he always finds something fresh and interesting to unearth. The same can be said of pianist Lightsey who shares much of the solo space and puts it to excellent use with a number of sharp and swinging choruses. With Franklin and Burnett, he shapes a rhythm section that’s as sure-handed and dependable as Michael Jordan.
As for St. Marseille, he has a deep, full-throated tone, superb technique, and an impressive range that he doesn’t abuse (in other words, no honking, screeching or unendurable rumblings). In these respects, he reminds me of another outstanding young tenor player, Eric Alexander, whose upward course I’ve charted over the past several years.
When it comes to story-telling, however, St. Marseille uses dissimilar punctuation, and one would seldom confuse him with Alexander. He’s at his best on the stronger tracks, which include Tadd Dameron’s "If You Could See Me Now," Tom Harrell’s "Little Dancer" and the lone standard (would that there were more), Ray Noble’s " The Touch of Your Lips," and invokes the spirit of Getz for a fiery solo on Jerry Kalaf’s "Reunion Blues."
The rest of the music is quite pleasant, with bonus points for bassist Franklin’s perky bossa, "Little Miss Laurie." An engaging, well-planned hour of muscular mainstream Jazz.
By Larry Nai, for Cadence The Review of Jazz & Blues: Creative Improvised Music, Vol. 25 No. 2 Jan. 1999
The West Coast press on Southern California resident Dan St. Marseille has spent much time name-checking Pres, Hawk, Mobley and Getz, emphasizing the "classic" nature of his playing. I also hear some of the rhythmic swagger of Von freeman, as well as the long lines and rich tonal quality found in Dewey Redman. What this all adds up to is one of the most distinctive tenor voices out of the "mainstream" that I’ve had the pleasure of encountering recently. [St.] Marseille’s attention to dynamics and tonal manipulation, as well as to what’s going on around him, gives a lot of diversity to his improvising. He chooses excellent material to boot: Jerry Kalaf’s "Helen" and "Reunion Blues" are strong, very different tunes, with a 6-second tenor note on the former (at 0:44) that bores its way into your heart. Everybody heats up during Wayne Shorter’s "Pinnochio," [sic] with a ravishing final couple of minutes, Dan letting out a perfectly timed sigh at one point in the last go-round on the theme. The [St.] Marseille/[Kirk] Lightsey duet on Tadd Dameron’s "If You Could See Me Now" is beautiful, balladic perfection; listen to Lightsey’s articulation of the last few notes and hear a master at work. Henry Franklin has a great solo on Tom Harrell’s "Little Dancer," and Carl Burnett’s superb drumming is all over this album. Departure is [St.] Marseille’s fourth CD for the Resurgent label, and you can bet I’ll be checking out his others after this. Highly recommended.