Robinson, Spike & Rob Mullins
The Odd Couple
Featuring Spike Robinson on tenor sax, Rob Mullins on piano, Fred Hamilton on bass, and Jill Fredericksen on drums. Since keyboardist Rob Mullins in the late 1980s was best known for his poppish crossover recordings and Spike Robinson is a bop/swing player in the Four Brothers tradition, this matchup (which also includes bassist Fred Hamilton and drummer Jill Fredericksen) might at first seem a bit odd. However, all of the musicians were based in Denver at the time; Mullins had gigged with Robinson, and he was flexible enough to play standards. Spike sounds typically fine on such tunes as "In Love, In Vain," "Melancholy Baby," "Street of Dreams" and "I Love You." Although Mullins does double on synthesizer, he fits in quite well.