I usually don’t review singles or eps, but how can you turn down writing about something recorded by one of our best jazz journalists, Scott Yanow? Besides being an encyclopedia of information and one of the best writers on the world scene, Yanow has a secret life as a jazz melodica player, as demonstrated with this nifty little session.
For these two songs he teams up with Richard Turner/p, Al Garcia/b and Dean Rohan/dr for some Kansas City swinging sounds on a bluesy “Melodica Rhythm” and a “I Got Rhythm” variant of “Melodicology.” Yanow sounds joyful and in control, giving hints of Tommy Gumina on the accordion as he bounces around on “Melodica Rhythm” and does some nice fours with Rohan. Garcia lays out a nice lick on his electric bass on “Melodicology and you feel like you’re standing at the corner of 12th Street and Vine. The infectious joy of jazz is captured here.
www.scottyanowjazz.com