Kids: Duets Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola [LIVE]

Joe Lovano

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 8, 2007)
• Original Release Date: May 8, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Blue Note Records
• ASIN: B000O5BP5U
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #78,267 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

As good as tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano's recent quartet albums featuring piano master Hank Jones were, they didn't prepare us for the sublimity of this two-man encounter. Duets Live has it all: brilliant and spirited individual playing, exceptional rapport, a terrific mix of songs and a luminous awareness of jazz in all its varied forms. What makes Lovano and Jones so compatible, even though they are separated by more than three decades, is the ease with which they each straddle and move back and forth across the line beween modern and pre-modern (in this, Lovano recalls Coleman Hawkins, one of the giants Jones backed). Much of the material is steeped in classic bop, but Jones points the way back to an earlier golden era with his lambent sparkle and Lovano comes at songs like "Charlie Chan" (his salute to Charlie Parker), Thelonious Monk's "Four in One," and Tadd Damerson's "Soultrane" from consistently fresh angles even as he applies his classic husky sound. Still a force at 88, Jones elegantly frees three of his late brother Thad's tunes from their big band trappings and in the solo spotlight pulls out stops on the standard, "Oh! Look at me Now!" It's a performance of gusty expression and poetic delicacy, slyness and warmth, and endless smiles. Is it too much to ask for a volume two? --Lloyd Sachs

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MAGNIFICENT DUO: HANK & JOE IN A TIMELESS, BEAUTIFUL JAZZ PERFORMANCE, May 12, 2007

By	RBSProds "rbsprods" (Deep in the heart of Texas) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you haven't picked this up already, June 2, 2008

By	Matthew Miller "jazzplayer" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars its great that mr jones is still with us., July 18, 2007

By	Maria Campagnolo "MR BEBOP" (SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.