One of the few labels that focuses on mainstream hard bop, Smoke Session Records delivers another vintage set with pianist David Hazeltine and his all star team of Ron Carter/b and Al Foster/dr. Hazeltine mixes and matches originals with some clever covers on this collection. Of the latter, he dances over Foster’s cymbals on “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and is slinky a la Basie for “The Odd Couple” with rich finger’s teaming with brushes on “Cabin in the Sky.” Carter and Foster team up sublimely for “Muse of Montgomery” with Carter hopping to Foster’s high hat for a bopping “Blues For Eddie.” Hazeltine is classy and glassy for his own post bop “The Time is Now” and for James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” he goes solo with a wondrous and sparkling read. This one’s a keeper!