You’;ve got some of the very best of LA’s musicians here, as Gary Urwin checks on his Iphone and calls up studio studs like Bobby Shew/tp, Kim Richmond/as, Andy Martin/tb, Wayne Bergeron/tp and Christian Jacob/p to join in this gentlemanly swinging session starring local icons Bill Watrous/tb, Pete Christlieb/ts and Carl Saunders/tp. Each of these gents have made illustrious careers performing for the likes of The Tonight Show and a gazillion movies and TV shows, and the reasons as evidenced here are easy to detect. There is a professionalism in terms of approach to standards like “ It Could Happebn To You, “ Waltz For Debby” and “The Gentle Rain” that make the tunes clear, crisp and polished. Christlieb fills the room on “It Could Happen To You” and “Dear Mr. Florence” while Saunders gives a workshop on chops on “Emmanuel” and Watrous slides like Rickey Henderson on “ Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry.”
The only hangup about this collection is that the sound is just a tad too clean and shiny, there’s a plethora of professionalism that makes it lean towards the sterile side, with a minimum of earthy grit. Even the bopper “Shaw ‘Nuff” and “Joy Spring” come off more glib that galloping. The arrangements are erudite, but the lack of any chances , sans the solo by Jacob on piano that closes the album with “ We’ll Be Together Again,” make you wish for a bit more turmeric to spice things u p.
Summit Records
www.summitrecords.com