Eddie Lockjaw Davis

If you like your tenor saxophone served up tuff'n'gruff, nobody cooks better than "Jaws." Combined with a "dream team" — Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown and drummer Jimmie Smith — Davis displays the visceral sound, scintillating technique and intimidating stage persona that made him the straw boss at Minton's Playhouse, sending musicians not up to Monk or Bird's speed scurrying for a beer at the bar. His masculine tone can transform from pugilistic to tender, and tunes like "Telegraph" and "Angel Eyes" give Lockjaw plenty of room to show his talent for dramatic, evocative music making. Peterson and Brown are, as to be expected, swinging, bluesy and encouraging of their leader. The under-appreciated saxophonics of the mighty Jaws get some well-deserved redress in this live performance from the '77 Montreux Jazz Festival. (Eagle Eye)