The veteran team known collectively as The Cookers has gradually become one of the top acoustic jazz teams around. They’ve released solid albums and are a delight in concert. The team has changed a tad, but it’s hard to complain of the Hall of Fame collection with Eddie Henderson/tp, David Weiss/tp, Donald Harrison/as, Billy Harper/ts, George Cables/p, Cecil McBee/b and Billy Hart/dr. Almost all of these gents grew up playing the slight left of center style of hard bop, and it’s reflected in these eight originals.
The band likes to stretch out, and the four horns create some intriguing harmonies, almost sounding like a synthesizer as their unison lines on “Third Phase” oozes around solos by Harris, Henderson and McBee.” Henderson’s horn glows on “Beyond Forever,” while Harper broods on the mood changing title track. The team shows its allegiance to Coltrane with a charging “Teule’s Redemption” that has Cables in a mad modal mood, while the more spiritual side is reflected on a Sunday kind of feeling as Harper goes to the pulpit on “They Will Be Done.” These guys play with blisters; you can feel the heat.
Smoke Sessions Records