Search - Hank Jones :: Master Class

This CD combines two excellent LPs from the late 1970s, with Jones taking a scintillating trip through the compositional legacy of bop, focusing on tunes by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonious Monk. Bop Redux, the earliest of the recordings, is a trio with bassist George Duvivier and drummer Ben Riley. Groovin' High has four tracks by a stellar quintet with Thad Jones (Hank's brother) on cornet, tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist Sam Jones (no relation), and drummer Mickey Roker. Sam, Thad, and Rouse recorded "I Mean You" and "Jackie-ing" together with Monk on 5 by Monk by 5, and it's fascinating to hear them cover the same tunes with so different a pianist. These musicians were all distinguished veterans when these dates were recorded, and the results are exemplary bop, played with invention and an almost casual precision. --Stuart Broomer