Mindy Canter, Fluteus Maximus
Mindela Music, 2011
by: Geannine Reid
Steeped in the jazz traditions, but raised in the belly of the blues, female flautist Mindy Canter releases her latest endeavor keenly entitled Fluteus Maximus. Canter melds a mixture of original, well known, and obscure jazz choices that actually work well as a calling card for any listener looking to enjoy jazz with a bit of bluesy overtone.
All the cuts are melodic and easy to tap your foot too and Canter’s originals “Slider” and “Karma” truly standout as fine compositions, melding into the program and holding up strong along with the standards.
Danny Geyer lends vocals to the blues classics “High Heel Sneakers,” “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Halleluyah,” and “16 Tons,” giving the session a different twist with the leader not being the vocalist on this outing. Geyer’s voice is gritty and organic, which further lends itself to this One Session – One Take underpinning.
Each player lends their own authenticity to the proceedings. Cuts like “Watermelon Man,” Memphis Underground” and “Do It Again,” have a 70’s funky feel and is truthfully feel good jazz, nothing in your face, nothing over the top or pushing the envelope to chaos, just a good old fashioned romp in the listenable and enjoyable lane.
The journey ends with “Happy Trails,” which further proves the point, that this group of musicians and Fluteus Maximus in general, was conceived to bring joy and to take along with you on the long car drive, or the wind down at the end of the day or to ease you into the day with a smile and happy heart. Canter truly got the memo that music is supposed to bring joy to others. In a world where anger, aggression and scandal are a part of our daily news, turn you dial over to the Canter channel and soak in the good vibes of Flueteus Maximus.
