Search - Joe Temperley, Harry Allen :: Cocktails for Two

Still Swinging Strong

John C. Graham | toronto, ontario Canada | 08/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a 'live' recording-with studio quality sound-from Sunnie's Jazz Party in Colorado from a year or so ago. After hearing it,I couldn't help but think about the many 'live at Sunnie's' recordings from the seventies with Sunnie's late husband Ralph Sutton accompanying Ruby Braff or Bob Wilber. They were o.k. recordings that had their moments but after the first few plays they took up residence on the shelf and collected dust. There was always better Sutton, Braff, or Wilber to listen to.



Definetely not so with this one. It's an entirely different cup of tea!



The first thing you will notice is the incredible sound quality. The engineer has done his homework on this one. With John Bunch on piano, Greg Cohen on bass, and Jake Hanna on drums, the rhythm section swings like crazy from the first notes. You can actually hear Jake Hanna's gleeful exhortations following some of the hotter solos from saxophonists Temperley and Allen.



Joe Temperley is absolutely astounding on this set. His baritone playing has never sounded better than on these inspired, loosely arranged standards. He sounds great with Harry Allen, whose tenor can be hot like Ben Webster or cool like Stan Getz. Together they push one another to take chances on the familiar chord changes. The feeling is electric as the band drives on through the numbers. It was one of those nights where everything just clicked!



For an inspired night of swinging jazz, "Cocktails for Two" is right on the money. It's wonderful to see and hear that such fine music is still being made. This disc is easily recommended."