In what is possibly his last recorded work, Joey DeFrancesco is magisterial is support of legendary vocalist Jack Jones on this John Clayton-produced last testament. Jones, one of the most talented vocalists of the 60s and 70s, has a more worn and leathered tone to his delivery, but the timing is still there as he varies between standards and more modern material .
Clayton conducts the band with strings, which includes all stars like Bob Sheppard, Ricky Woodard, Clay Jenkins, Tom Scott, Ira Nepus, Jeff Hamilton, Graham Dechter and Tamir Hendelman. But the star here is the late Mr. Joey D, who not only oozes out the blues with his Hammond on “At Last” or “This Masquerade” with guitarist Dechter, but he blows smoke rings on the tenor as on “This Is All I Ask” and the elegant “She’s Funny That Way”. His muted trumpet is Miles Davis hip on “If You Go Away” and “Here’s To Life”, and his B3 goes bel canto dramatic with Jones on “Free Again”. Classy to the last note.