Here’s a fun loving disc from the Pacific Northwest. From Seattle, vibist Tom Collier and bassist Dan Dean bring together a varied and variegated collection of winsome and pulsating sounds that mix and match diverse instruments as dobro, ukulele, mandolin and fiddle as well as the normal collection of guitars, drums and reeds.
Intricate yet swinging material such as the title track have Andy Leftwich on fiddle and mandolin veering in and out some hairpin turns,while the reggae groove on “California Avenue” offers a Tiki Room treasure of marimba pangs. R&B backbeats give Ernie Watts some backbone for his tenor to wail on “ WMB’s” and the blues goes bopping on “ Mallet Tech.” Don Grusin’s restless piano bounces around Collier’s vibes on the charming and uptempo “Lettercollum/Paris” and the gospel train comes to town as “ Walking in My Old Shoes” has Gruisin and Watts deliver plaintive testimonies. These guys will charm your socks off.
Origin Records