Key.largo

"Key Largo may best be described as a group of musicians seeking to create something fresh and unique within the supposed musical boundaries of what most people would simply term blues" state the sleeve notes to their album. In fact what's on offer is pretty British blues rock produced by Mike Vernon, and released through the Blue Horizon label. with lots of harmonica, percussion and brass arrangements in places. The album includes cover versions of Willie Dixon, Alain Toussaint, B.B. King and P. Mayfield songs. Tracks include the soul/funk orientated “Give It Up” with a brass arrangement; the slow number “As The Years Go Passing By”, which features some good blues guitar work, and “Come On And Get It Baby”, written by thirties English pianist Stanley Black - an instrumental with jazzy electric piano, sharp guitar chords and percussion by Kenny Lamb who later went on to Jellybread.

Since arriving in New York City, Tessa Souter has built a dedicated following. She was a relative latecomer to jazz, taking time out to raise a family at a young age and work as a journalist before studying at the Manhattan School of music and privately with vocal great Mark Murphy, though she has developed into a formidable singer in a relatively short time. Souter's gorgeous, natural vocals never show pretension or gimmickry, while her taste in songs is amazingly wide-ranging and occasionally risk-taking. For these 2008 sessions, her accompanists include the brilliant pianist Kenny Werner (who works especially well with vocalists), saxophonist Joel Frahm, Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo, veteran first-call bassist Jay Leonhart, and the in-demand drummer Billy Drummond…

Frank McCloud travels to a run-down hotel on Key Largo to honor the memory of a friend who died bravely in his unit during WW II. His friend's widow, Nora Temple, and wheelchair bound father, James Temple manage the hotel and receive him warmly, but the three of them soon find themselves virtual prisoners when the hotel is taken over by a mob of gangsters led by Johnny Rocco who hole up there to await the passing of a hurricane.