Web site: http://www.beyondcoltrane.com/
Actual review can be found at: http://www.beyondcoltrane.com/artist.cfm?name=Loeb
The review:
This disc is interesting for several reasons. One is on the surface: the four instruments in this jazz quartet of tenor sax, piano, bass, and drums, are all played by the same man, Peter Arthur Loeb. Two is the sound quality, which has a definite live atmosphere, implying that the man actually split himself in four and created the music on stage before a pair of microphones. This must be very tiring for the artist. Three is that his playing is quite good. He has a knack for understanding his instruments and the qualities that they possess. He doesn't do anything that takes my breath away, but his gimmick works: he plays the four instruments as four different musicians, each with an understanding of his instrument. I also play many instruments and record one-man albums. However, I have certain instruments on which I am stronger than others. I also have more free sensibilities than Mr. Loeb, at least on Four of Me. My multi-instrumental "jazz" would be quite a different entity altogether, as I attempt to convert my weaknesses on some instruments into strengths. Loeb has strength on all his instruments, so he doesn't need to undergo that conversion process. While the end result of Four of Me is standard bop fare, it at least is competent bop fare, which means a lot coming from one man. He's not like Ornette or me, having a go at the trumpet or violin. He is a tenor sax player exploring his instrument. He is a piano player exploring his instrument. I know that a unified swing and layering improvisation is difficult to accomplish. I'm not going to even try. Loeb created a disc.