Music & Friends

The liner notes indicate that Reynolds has spent much of an honorable music career as a do-everything musician in Chicago. All well conceived work, to be sure, but I have this notion of having seen his name on scores of albums by quality pop and sometimes jazz singers "back in the day." The "friends" referred to in the title are both the talented players on the album and the recipients of several tributes. Among these are a few to personal friends and others to well-known musical colleagues. For example, there's "A Song for Johnny" (violinist Frigo); "Fancy Miss Nancy" (Wilson); and "A Song for Stan" (Getz). Reynolds, apparently an avid fisherman, even wrote a tribute to his "fishing pond" entitled "Reflections." The remainder of the tunes, all happily arranged, display real melody lines, skilled soloists, sensible arranging, and lots of spirit and variety. Reynolds may not have gained the notoriety of Bill Holman or Neal Hefti, but I do believe he's somewhere in that well respected company. As has been often said, all you need is a pair of ears.