These two releases are separated by a half century, but they both have that timeless quality that would have made a fan of either disc, at either session, a fan of the other. Read on…
Greg Abate plays alto, soprano, bari and flute here as he leads a hot team of Jesse Green/p, Evan Gregor/b and Bill Goodwin/dr, as well as including the living alto king Phil Woods on half the original tracks. The material, like “Roger Over and Out” is straightahead bop, and the two altos hear make musical heaven. Woods is still on his game, with an ability to still throw a curveball past you when you were expecting heat. Their tribute to another great altoist, “Goodbye Mr. Pepper” is tender and heartfelt, while the melding of Abate’s woodwinds with Woods’ earthy alto on “Carmel By the Sea” is like carmelized onions. On the quartet tracks the team works together like leather gloves on a Harley. Everything good about jazz is on this hour’s worth of material.
Arnett Cobb was one of the last of a breed of what used to be called “Texas Tenors”; they were guys that had a big and beefy sound, played a meat and potatoes style of jazz and gave you no frills but only thrills. This 2 cd set covers three sessions from 1959-60. Ah! Those were the days! Ike was in the House, suburbs were booming, the Yankees were in the Series, and jazz was the most popular music of the day. Cobb teams up with either Ray Bryant, Bobby Timmons or Tommy Flanagan on piano, Sam Jones, Wendell Marshall on bass , Art Taylor on drums and Danny Barrajanos, Ray Barretto or Buck Clark on congas for some of the most soulful sounds you’ll ever have touch your ear drum. His take of “Lonesome Road” testifies like a Sunday service, while “Lover Come Back to Me” and “Blue Lou” swing and sway like a pendulum. If you want ballads, you’re blood pressure will change 20 points after a few takes of “Ghost of a Chance,” while you’ll get your fingers snapping on a juke jointing “Walkin’.” This is the kind of music of which dreams are made!
Rhombus Records
Fresh Sound Records
www.freshsoundrecords.com