Search - Hod O'Brien :: Live at Blues Alley - Third Set

More Swinging Bebop Piano

John Tapscott | Canada | 10/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Despite some self-critical remarks in the liner notes, Hod O'Brien's "Third Set - Live at Blues Alley" stands shoulder to shoulder with the First Set and Second Set CD's. While O'Brien may have originally considered some of these takes inferior, to this listener there is no audible difference in musical quality whatsoever. "The Third Set" is a highly enjoyable, swinging CD of bebop piano, with O'Brien backed superbly by bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Kenny Washington.



The set opens with Howard McGhee's uptempo "Double Talk", and moves next moves into a swinging mid-tempo take of "It Could Happen to You." Then O'Brien announces that "We're going to do some Tadd Dameron now", and leads the trio in no less than five Dameron compositions including the well-known "If You Could See Me Now", the bluesy "The Squirrel", and the lesser known "Dameronia." As jazz buffs know, Dameron's compostions are quite beautiful, and always provide fertile ground for swinging and inventive improvisation. Such is the case here. Dameron's music is meat and potatoes for this trio and brings out the best in all three musicians. O'Brien's stop-time segment in "Our Delight" will capture your attention and provide listening delight as it did for the audience at "Blues Alley." The set and the evening ends gently with a reflective take of "Easy Living."



Hod O'Brien is a master of bebop piano and on this 59 minute set gives us some of the most swinging, uplifting and satisfying modern jazz piano to be heard anywhere. "Third Set" is highly recommended along with "First Set" and "Second Set.""