The sound of kindred spirits
Joseph P. Reel | Pacific Grove, California United States | 12/27/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Scandinavian bass player Jesper Lundgaard gave listeners a lovely present in December, 2003 (released September, 2004) when he recorded Horace Parlan in the relaxed, intimate atmosphere of Parlan's Copenhagen home, where he has lived since 1973.
Although enjoyable anytime, it has become one of my favorite "Sunday morning" CDs. Initially, I felt it might be a little too slowly paced. Upon repeated listening, however, I realized that the then 72-year-old Parlan had nothing to prove. Rather, he was simply sharing the pleasure of playing with his band mates Lundgaard and Ed Thigpen (a fellow American expatriate) without the need to indulge in grandstanding or pyrotechnics. The trio plays a well-balanced selection of evergreens with a subtlety and finesse that never degenerates into stereotypic "smooth jazz," and becomes more appreciated over time. The session concludes with "Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out," played with more whimsy than sentimentality
The recording quality is so impeccable that you may very well feel like you're sitting and relaxing in the Parlan living room pictured in the CD booklet. Thanks, Horace, for inviting us into your home. I hope you'll have us back again sometime.
"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1