This two disc set has Larry McDonough going both electric and acoustic, balancing two worlds with piano and keyboards.
The acoustic album mixes moods of Chet Baker and Bill Evans with Greg Stinson/b, Dean White/dr, Richard Terrill/ts and Steve Kenny/tp. You get a poem read by Terrill on a very Chetty “The Thrill is Gone” and some hip muted trumpet for a sleek “Flamenco Sketches” while the team gets kind of blueish on “Alice in Wonderland” and a genteel “You Must Believe in Spring.’
Plugging in, McDonough gives hints of Weather Report on a textured “Stonehenge” with Terrill on soprano sax, while Led Zeppelin’s “ Kashmir” is a rocker that is quite a Mysterious Traveller. Stinson’s electric bass works well with the keys on a soulful “She Was Too Good For Me” and a take of Eric Clapton’s “Layla” is a bluesy delight with Terrill’s tenor. Clever ideas, and they work well.