Dick Oatts, as shown in his “Standard Issue” (SCCD 31439) and its squeal “Standard Issue volume 2 (SCCD 31482), cherishes tunes from the great American songwriters of the 20th century. For this new album Dick Oatts compiles a collection of evergreen “love songs” mostly written in the 40s. “….Longtime lead alto man with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Oatts comes from the Paul Desmond-Lee Konitz school of saxophone playing. But a sweet sound and a cerebral approach to improvising comprise only part of his style. There's also a trim muscularity in his tone and lines. And the lines can be quite angular and oblique at times. I don't hear any other alto man playing with all these qualities these days.” (On SCCD 31511 “South Paw” / Owen Cordle – JazzTimes)