Cookin

In the grand tradition of such inspired pairings as Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis or Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, tenor titans Eric Alexander and Grant Stewart team up again as Reeds and Deeds for a new outing that again highlights the saxophone

Jimmy Smith - Home Cookin' (1959) {2004 Blue Note RVG Edition}
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Jazz / Hard Bop / Soul Jazz / Hammond

Smith's superb keyboard technique is only half of his musical magic. The other is his astonishing ability to paint atmospheres and create exquisite moods. The feeling of this album is perfectly evinced, relaxed and cool, spacious yet textured and sophisticated enough to keep the ear consistently intrigued. The album's title and cover photo are an homage to a soul food diner in Harlem called Kate's Home Cooking, and the tunes parallel a range of subtle, carefully prepared flavors.

The combination of tuba player Sam Pilafian and guitar virtuoso Frank Vignola seems a strange combination on a predominently jazz album but thanks to the quality of musicianship that they both possess, it works well, through tunes by the likes of Django Reinhart, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington.

Robert Cray may be a gloriously reliable musician when it comes to live performances, but he has become decidedly erratic when it comes to album releases. For 30 years America’s most successful contemporary blues guitarist and singer-songwriter didn’t release a live album, but now there have been three in just four years. In 2006 there was Live from Across the Pond, recorded at London’s Royal Albert Hall when he was opening for Eric Clapton (rather confusingly, the title wasn’t changed for its UK release).