John Tank, Song Of Hope, Olivor 20031
Canadian born, New York City-based Tank is a sax player with a confident, mature sound and style that is never overbearing. It also doesn't hurt that he has been working with an equally talented bunch of mainstream musicians. This straight-ahead session works so well in great part due to the cohesive bond between messengers Hill, Hirshfield, and Cochrane who display a willingness to subdue virtuosic urges for the better of the whole.
Tank's tenor harks back to pre-free-flight Trane and embodies some of the tonal huskiness of Gerry Mulligan's baritone sax. He likes the Blues, and on "Minor Matrix," for example, one can hear how he prefers to utilize self-restraint and careful pacing. Recording date has a big, naturally warm sound that shows off the individuality of the band: Cochrane's horn-like piano lines, Hirshfield's nuanced approach to drumming and Calvin Hill's rich, occasionally clicking bass patterns. Some groups come with calling cards bearing inscriptions such as "Spiritual Music Played Here," and others play music that abounds with natural spirit and simply get the job done. This falls into the latter category.
--Charles Winokoor,
Cadence Magazine, December 2003
***(*) 3.5* -- So In Love - TCB 95602
[John] Tank is a Canadian and he cut this set during a long weekend in New York. No quarter is given by the local team -- and it would have done the nominal leader an injustice, anyway: he is perfectly composed and delivers five good originals -- check out 'Address This Issue' and 'Uptown Lex' in particular -- along with a big, dark sound on tenor and a hard and fearless one on soprano. He's a veteran of his local scene and clearly there's nothing missing in a style that sounds at home whether in Cole Porter's title tune or in the quirky confines of [trumpeter Jack] Walrath's tune 'Vengeance'. The others are all of top form and [Marvin 'Smitty'] Smith, who seldom does this kind of gig any more, sounds particularly good.
--Richard Cook and Brian Morton,
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD, 4th Ed, 1998, p 1443
From the opening track of John Tank's second TCB release, the magic is obvious. This post-bop saxophonist grabs the listener's attention immediately with a twisting and melodic interpretation of Eddie Heywood's "Canadian Sunset," a piece that has almost disappeared from jazz. Tank's arrangement almost brings to mind an upbeat version of Grofe's "On the Trail," while pianist Peter Madsen's fascinating accompaniment is also a plus. Burt Bacharach's "A House Is Not a Home" can sound dreadfully dull in the wrong jazz musician's hands, but Tank's blistering version is solid on all counts. The leader also composed several numbers, including his lush ballad "Have You Heard This Song Before." Tank switches to soprano for Madsen's exotic "Surrounded by Night," as well as bassist Ted Trimble's hypnotic "Angela." Recommended.
--Ken Dryden, All Music Guide - 2001
Canadian Sunset, John Tank Quartet TCB 20902
Canadian John Tank is one of the leading members of that school of jazz musicians who can play progressive jazz in such a way to make it impossible to understand and follow the group's musical intentions. The quartet doesn't assail the ears with harmonies and assorted noises that annoy rather than pleasure. He and the imperturbable members of his quartet ride the rails with a hard swinging, post bop tinged delivery of a Peter Madsen composition, "Talk to the Hand" where for more than eight minutes, they squeeze everything this tune has to give. The musical tone shifts to a lovely original ballad by Tank, "Have You Heard This Song Before". This lovely piece of music provides an opportunity for Tank to take a long, introspective, impressionistic solo tenor sax solo which shows the influences of those modern tenors who have gone before him, John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson with a dollop of Stan Getz added for melodic inflection. His work has also been influenced from his days with Charles Mingus Victor Herbert's "Indian Summer" is a vehicle for Tank ‘s improvisional skills that give this warhorse a life renewing transfusion. No matter what the tempo, this group never strays far from an intelligent, accommodating approach to whatever they're playing. With rich harmonic overtones, they leave the listener not necessarily exhilarated or excited, but certainly at ease and fulfilled. Highly recommended.rack listing: Canadian Sunset; Tank Toon; A House Is not a Home; Surrounded by the Night; Steppin' Up; Have You Heard This Song Before?; Indian Summer; Talk to the Hand; Angela
Personnel: John Tank - Tenor & Soprano Saxophone/Leader; Peter Madsen - Piano; Ted Trimble - Bass; Mike Clark - Drums
--Dave Nathan - All About Jazz, Published: October 01, 2001
Jazz CDs, Pt. 1 - June 2002 - Artist: John Tank - Rating: 4 stars (****)
As the CD title hints, saxist Tank is Canadian. He follows in the footsteps of older masters such as Joe Henderson and Sonny Rollins and his dues paying includes playing with Charlie Mingus and several of his alumni. Tank is not a show-off - he stresses the melodic with long and flowing lines, but is partial to slightly out-of-kilter rhythms. Pianist Madsen has a smooth, mostly single-note style that supports Tank niftily. Six of the tracks are originals either by Tank or his sidemen. The Canadian jazzman was recorded in New York for this Swiss label and the final CD was manufactured in Austria. The international effort is an exceptionally listenable jazz quartet outing. Tracks: Canadian Sunset, Tank Toon, A House is Not a Home, Surrounded by the Night, Steppin' Up, Have You Heard This Song Before?, Indian Summer, Talk to the Hand, Angela.
--John Henry • Jazz CDs, Pt. 1 - June 2002
John Tank's second CD, [Canadian Sunset], attractively show-cases the veteran saxophonist's rollicking tenor and pensive soprano. With a tone and style on tenor reminiscent of early Sonny Rollins or, at times, Joe Henderson, Tank charges through swingers like "Canadian Sunset" with mature fluency, in spite of the rare awkward phrase. A lovely soprano sound and more meditative manner grace the less urgent pieces, such as pianist Peter Madsen's near eastern like "Surrounded by the night." Still, Tank can also use the bigger horn for quietly expressive purposes, as he does on his own "Have You Heard This Song Before?" Drummer Mike Clark's tenure with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters made him the ideal groove master for the leader's funk oriented "Tank Toon." Bassist Ted Trimble, formerly with Larry Coryell, excelsthroughout both as an anchorman and as a nimble soloist. Madsen, with thoroughly crafted lines and explosive swing, provides many of the recording's high points.
--David Franklin, "Saxophonic,"
Jazz Times, June 2002
John Tank, Canadian Sunset, TCB 20902
A fine Hard Bop tenor saxophonist, John Tank sounds fairly original on cooking tunes while displaying the influence of John Coltrane on ballads, most notably on his "Have You Heard This Song Before." In addition to three of his originals (all excellent), two by pianist Peter Madsen and one by bassist Ted Trimble, Tank interprets three superior if far from overplayed standards; "Canadian Sunset," "A House Is Not A Home," (Jackie McLean is one of the few other Jazzers to dig into this Burt Bacharach song) and "Indian Summer." The rhythm section (only Mike Clark, formerly with the Headhunters, is particularly well known) is quietly supportive while Tank takes lyrical and heart-felt solos, improvisations with plenty of heat felt just below the surface. This is the type of set that grows in interest with each listening even though it is not overly complex or forbidding upon first listen. Well worth checking out.
--Scott Yanow,
Cadence Magazine, March 2003
