Bobby Selvaggio

Local jazz man Bobby Selvaggio wasn't originally interested in following his musician dad's footsteps. Dude wanted to play baseball instead. But in 1988, he started studying saxophone at Kent State University, eventually earning a performance degree. He released three CDs on his own before being picked up by New York-based Arabesque, which has released Selvaggio's latest outing, Grass Roots Movement, an electric affair featuring a smoking quartet. Recorded at a small studio on the Pennsylvania-New York border, Grass Roots Movement is a sharp-sounding work that swings from minimalist jazz arrangements ("No Turn on Red") to funk and fusion ("Chicken Legs"). (Jeff Niesel)