At one time, it was de rigeur for a college student to read Jack Kerouac’s hip to be hep beatnik classic On The Road. Here, we’ve got the soundtrack to the movie, and it’s an excellent mix of vintage bebop era modern jazz and original compositions performed by Gustavo Santaolalla/p, Charlie Haden/b and Brian Blade/dr. The trio (with an occasionally added tenor sax) cooks on material like “Lovin’ IT” and “That’s IT,” with exciting interplay by all involved. Bop classics like “Salt Peanuts” and “Ko-Ko” as well as a rip roaring “Mean and Evil Blues” by Dinah Washington create aural images, but it’s the pair of tunes by Slim Galliard, the King of Jive, that makes this disc a must have. Was music ever as enjoyable as “Yip Rock Heresy” or “Hit That Jive Jack”? This is why I got into jazz, and it still holds on tight!
Verve Music Group