4.0 out of 5 stars
Something completely different..., December 2, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: reeding between the lines (Audio CD)
Fans of Morris's two previous albums may be surprised by the conspicuous absence of synthesizers and other electronic instrumentation on this delightfully eclectic collection of Morris's acoustic compositions. The CD opens with the cheerful "Around the Corner," a feel-good tune infused with a relentless spirit of goofy optimism. While the remarkable Ron Borelli effectively demonstrates the potential of the accordion as a lead jazz instrument, Morris herself joins the horn section on alto sax. Borelli's accordion is featured again on the gently swinging "Past Eleven." He is joined by several more accordionists, including the composer, on the album's two closers, "Before the Storm" and "After the Storm," both of which successfully evoke the moods suggested by their titles. The Sax Maniacs, an all-saxophone quintet, shines on "Five Movements," "Scrumptious," and Morris's arrangement of Mingus's classic "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat." Listeners are sure to enjoy the intentional silliness of Morris's whimsical tributes to the humble egg in "Sunny Side Up" and "Scrambled Eggs." I especially enjoyed the album's only piano solo, "America's Legacy," a charming composition that would not have been out of place in some lost Gershwin musical of the early `30s. This is an album to be cherished by those who enjoy hearing music quite unlike any other they are likely to have heard before.
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