Jazz & Blues
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Live At The Floating Jazz Festival Chiaroscuro Reedmen Kenny Davern (clarinet) and Joe Temperly (bass clarinet, baritone sax) lead a first-rate swing sextet featuring pianist John Bunch, guitarist Joe Cohn, bassist Michael Moore and drummer Joe Ascione, all musicians who had never worked together nor rehearsed as a group. Live-recorded aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 for the 18th Annual Floating Jazz Festival in October and November 2000, this lively team performs lengthy versions of eight standards: “Bernie’s Tune,” “Mood Indigo,” “Three Little Words,” “Blue Monk,” “Blue Lou,” “Creole Love Call, “I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me,” and “Undecided.” What makes this recording unique is the rare, deep-toned, combined sound of Davern’s clarinet and Temperley’s baritone sax, especially praiseworthy on the 11:15-minute dreamy reading of Ellington’s “Mood Indigo.” Near the tune’s end, a skillful solo from Cohn leads into the restated, beautifully harmonized melody head by Davern and Temperley. They pair up mightily again on the kicking “Blue Lou,” a delightful 10-minute romp from start to finish. The band sounds like they’ve been playing together for years and on uptempo numbers swing tidily with Ascione’s crisp, snapping tempos. Imaginative, well-executed solos, tight interaction and familiar tunes yield prime listening enjoyment. All of these top-ranked swing players have previously recorded as leaders (or sidemen) for Chiaroscuro (Davern with the most at eight), but combining them for this superb performance ranks this CD near the top. By Nancy Ann Lee |