Common Ground

Famed bassist Rodney Whitaker brings together an all-star unit of generational contemporaries, each a modern master and colleague of long standing, to interpret a sampling of tunes from composer Gregg Hill's pen, compositions that Whitaker found particularly inspiring. With trumpeter Terrell Stafford, saxophonist Tim Warfield, pianist Bruce Barth, and drummer Dana Hall, Whitaker guides the flow with a mammoth sound and harmonic acumen, as his partners apply their individualistic voices to eight tunes that Whitaker describes as "modern bebop and 21st century soul jazz," emphasizing melodic development and the will to swing. For 4 of his pieces, Hill partnered with vocalist Rockelle Fortin, Whitaker's daughter, to write lyrics and add her voice to the ensemble.