MUSIC REVIEW BY Stephen Graham, Marlbank (UK)
We applaud the choice of a cover of Spanish language classic 'Aquellos Ojos Verdes' aka 'Green Eyes' sung by Nat King Cole in the 1950s on his Brazil recorded Spanish language A Mis Amigos album and far more recently as an instrumental by Fred Hersch and Michael Moore so beautifully softly on This We Know (Palmetto, 2008).
The other cover here on what is largely a piano trio album by New Yorker South Korean pianist Jihee Heo is more obviously a choice perhaps but nevertheless a classic piece of repertoire that we never tire of - a version of Duke Ellington's 'In a Sentimental Mood' that has great brush work from the formidable Wyntonian Joe Farnsworth. Heo's piece 'The Late Bloomer' has appealingly bustling sax from the great altoist Vincent Herring nimbly supported by bassist Alex Claffy and Farnsworth. Claffy's own album Good Spirits on Cellar Live that Farnsworth figured on we dug in 2022.
What a good idea to have Herring on board. Check out the alto icon's wonderful Soul Jazz with his band Something Else recently reviewed in these pages. Flow is a Maureen Sickler recording at Van Gelder's made last autumn - in other words buy this for the sonics alone even if you are an avantist and think this is too infra dig for you given the complete absence of plinky plonk. Farnsworth's best bits are on the deftly grooving 'I Can See Only One Step Ahead.' Heo swings modestly it must be said and could come out of her shell more. But her tunes make sense. Herring steals the show on the very feelgood and best thing here 'The Hidden Giant' - eVincing, conVincing at all times.
The other cover here on what is largely a piano trio album by New Yorker South Korean pianist Jihee Heo is more obviously a choice perhaps but nevertheless a classic piece of repertoire that we never tire of - a version of Duke Ellington's 'In a Sentimental Mood' that has great brush work from the formidable Wyntonian Joe Farnsworth. Heo's piece 'The Late Bloomer' has appealingly bustling sax from the great altoist Vincent Herring nimbly supported by bassist Alex Claffy and Farnsworth. Claffy's own album Good Spirits on Cellar Live that Farnsworth figured on we dug in 2022.
What a good idea to have Herring on board. Check out the alto icon's wonderful Soul Jazz with his band Something Else recently reviewed in these pages. Flow is a Maureen Sickler recording at Van Gelder's made last autumn - in other words buy this for the sonics alone even if you are an avantist and think this is too infra dig for you given the complete absence of plinky plonk. Farnsworth's best bits are on the deftly grooving 'I Can See Only One Step Ahead.' Heo swings modestly it must be said and could come out of her shell more. But her tunes make sense. Herring steals the show on the very feelgood and best thing here 'The Hidden Giant' - eVincing, conVincing at all times.