Will Scruggs, featuring Charles Phaneuf

at Twins, 2/18/2006

Will Scruggs is a sax player from Atlanta. He was in town, playing with a group of local musicians, including my friend Charles. I met Charles because he's helping out with the upcoming Capital Fringe Festival. This was the first time I got to hear him play. Turns out Will is an old buddy of his.

Scruggs has a really nice sound - on tenor, alto, and soprano. No easy feat. His tenor sound has the smoky, full bodied goodness of someone like Joe Henderson. His alto playing had the lightness and agility of someone more like Michael Brecker. I'm not suggesting his playing is quite what those guys do... but he's got a wide ranging set of skills (and he can sing pretty well too).

Unfortunately, this was an ad-hoc group playing mostly standards - pretty straight ahead. My personal preference is for something a little more out-there, but they were good. Most of the solos of the evening were really clear and logically structured. I appreciate that kind of composing, but I also want something a little more visceral. The pianist especially - he has a fondness for circular little sequential patterns, and uses them quite creatively, but it struck me as kind of cold (although technically very solid).


Scruggs, on the other hand, pulled off a few Jimmy Smith like tricks - sitting on a single trill or ornament for a really really long time and making it sound powerful. That wasn't something he did often, which helped make it work.

I was impressed - and I think he's a promising talent. I hope he has the chance to stretch out some more, and play some more original music. The one original that was included in the set I heard was good (but still very straight-forward). Certainly someone to keep an eye on.