Dan Moretti has one of those resumes that make the rest of us seem like layabouts—composer, producer, professor and, above all, saxophone player of surpassing skill and versatility. He teaches at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. He’s worked with pop artists as disparate as Diana Ross, Tony Bennett and The Temptations—and he’s traded jazz choruses with the likes of Dave Liebman and Jimmy Cobb. Now he’s front and center in Dan Moretti, his appropriately titled new release for 1201 Music, and it’s definitely his show. He did much of the studio engineering and shouldered most of the solo responsibilities. Here is Moretti at his most relaxed and understated. The playing by turns is lilting, romantic, gently swinging—always accessible, but never less than creative. Moretti works with equal facility on tenor, soprano and flute, bringing to both a creamy tone and fluid technique that let the music breathe. Moretti starts tenor for “Cynthia,” a sassy, slightly funky tune by keyboardist Bill Cunliffe, who contributes some nice passages in support of Moretti’s fluid sax lead. His tone is the first thing you notice on “When Is it Real.” An excellent vehicle for Dan—wistful, long-lined, a perfect showcase for his warm soprano style. The tasteful bass work is by Michael Farquharson. The mood turns gentle again on “Nights of Waiting,” another Cunliffe song—and another example of his excellent keyboard work. Moretti cites John Coltrane and Stanley Turrentine as major influences on his playing. But his work here recalls no one more than Stan Getz — light-toned, delicate, weaving beautiful filigrees around the melody. One could go on and on about the felicities in this set—Moretti’s easy virtuosity on tenor and soprano in “Tiara,” his freewheeling flute chorus in “Los Gatos Hills” (whose Latin drum track comes courtesy of Vinny Pagano), the fast passages and unexpected harmonies of “Crusade,” the soaring solo work on “Deb.” What it all comes down to is artistry. Dan Moretti is very much in the easy adult contemporary groove. It’s totally accessible the first time you play it, but there’s nothing predictable about it. It’s full of subtle musicianship that reveals itself over time and rewards repeated listening. Which is a long-winded way of saying that the guy the CD is named for knows what he’s doing. RECORDING: Recorded and mixed at First Note Studio, Providence and Celebration Studio, Pawtucket ARTISTS Dan Moretti (soprano sax, tenor sax, lute), Michael Farquharson (electric fretted and fretless bass), Vinny Valentino (electric & accoustic guitar), Greg Wardson (keyboards), Bill Cunliffe (keyboards), Alain Mallet (keyboards), Vinny Pagano ( drum overdubs), Larry Finn (drums), Bill Miele (bass), Joe Carrier (keyboards), Peter Calo (guitar), TRACKS (1) Cynthia (4:10), (2) When Is It Real (4:40), (3) Nights Of Waiting (4:36), (4) That’s Right (4:21), (5) Crusade (4:20), (6) Tiara (4:47), (7) Los Gatos Hills (4:46), (8) Deb (6:11), (9) Good Lookin’ Out (4:43), (10) Street Smart (4:49), Visit Dan Moretti at 'www.danmorettimusic.com'