Search - Joe Lovano, Hank Jones :: Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club

A MAGNIFICENT DUO: HANK & JOE IN A TIMELESS, BEAUTIFUL JAZZ

RBSProds | Deep in the heart of Texas | 05/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Five MAGNIFICENT Stars!! The legendary jazz keyboard master Hank Jones and legendary tenor saxophone titan, Joe Lovano, have conjured up one of the best jazz duet performances in years!! And they are caught live at the intimate Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in the Frederick P. Rose Hall, which is the Jazz At Lincoln Center performance complex in NYC. These are timeless, beautiful, flawless performances by two jazz masters who have almost restlessly searched the jazz spectrum for fulfillment in many formats over the years. They definitely have found something very special here that just may require an encore and it happened in a great venue. Stepping away from Mr Lovano's quartet, these two incomparable musicians have all of the propulsion and rhythm that is needed to propel these excellent performances along nicely. Unencumbered by bass and drum, they bend and stretch the time at will, with Hank providing solos and colorations as well as wicked time-keeping 'stride piano' with Joe declaratively soaring above and in between, making for some wonderful mellow jazz music. '80ish' Mr Jones plays with equal fire as '50ish' Mr Lovano making this duo an empathetic match made in jazz heaven.



The 'Pieces De Resistance', the best of the best, are wall to wall equally-captivating performances which proceed without letdown from song to song. But I especially like the fire by both players on "Lady Luck", written by Hank's brother, Thad, and "Kids Are Pretty People". I also love Joe's nod to older tenor players with his 'Ben Webster-ish' tenor sax effects on "Lullaby" and his nod to Yardbird Parker on "Charlie Chan", so reminiscent of Miles' "Half Nelson". Hank gets two solo bites of this CD apple with a wonderful, shimmering "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin' " and "Oh! Look At Me Now", which is fitting since "Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola" is known for great solo piano performances. Joe gets off what is probably his best solo, alone and later with Hank, on a swirling performance of Monks' "Four In One", blowing hot, liquid strings of notes. Pure, timeless, magnificent jazz music! Encore, gentlemen! My Highest Recommendation. Five ENJOYABLE Stars!!



(This review is based on an iTunes digital download.)"

Its great that mr jones is still with us.

Maria Campagnolo | SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA | 07/18/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"mr jones playing is great as always.mr lovanos playing is the most distinctive of all the current sax players. the playing on this album is very good, the monk tune "four in one" is my favorate. the only thing i not not like is that the piano could have been recored with a little more volume."

If you haven't picked this up already

Matthew Miller | New York, New York | 06/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Do so now!



I, probably like anyone reading this review, waited a long time before picking up a copy of this for myself. I had heard good things about it, but was unsure if it was worth a buy. Duets can be phenomenal, but can also fall flat very easily. I am here now to say that I should not have waited so long, and neither should you.



Both Lovano and Jones are in excellent form here. This duet gives both of them just enough freedom to express themselves and lets them highlight what they are best at. Lovano has played with Jones a number of times before and their communication on stage was obviously excellent. Jones has continued to become even more subtler and talent as time goes on. He switches from really swinging licks into more wry, dryly expressed passages with ease while always betraying a superb musical sense. It is not always easy to improvise without any backing from another musician (whether it be drums or bass or whatnot) but Jones shows that he is up to the task and then some. Not once will a listener feel that he has in anyway lost track of the melody or the overall arch of the song, his solos are so well crafted: truly musical gems.



In turn Jones sets a perfect stage for Lovano. Lovano's has a big, rich, dark sound that is just perfect for this sort of duet and he works with Jones excellently during his solos. They work very well together, not much more can be said. If you are on the fence about this album, take it from me that you have no reason to be. It is more than worth a listen."