Featured Artist: Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet

CD Title: Hey, Look Me Over

Year: 2004

Record Label: Arbors

Style: Straight-Ahead / Classic

Musicians: Harry Allen (Tenor Saxophone), Joe Cohn (Guitar), Joel Forbes (Bass), Chuck Riggs (Drums)

Review:

This 2004 release by the Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet presents an interesting dilemma into what defines a working band.  According to noted music critic Chip Deffaa, who wrote the liner notes, they are defined as musicians who share a rapport onstage, as well as in the recording studio.  Then again, of course, there are several working bands across America and the cameraderie between them have to be cohesive and musically in sync.

Make no mistake that this is what you find on this CD. Supported by bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs, Allen and Cohn do an adequate job anchoring the quartet through several standards including "With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair", "Seven Come Eleven", and "Take Four."  The title track, another standard by Carol Leigh and Cy Coleman, gives the band a chance to cut loose in it's post bop style.  Allen's sax solo starts out smooth and grows sentimental while Forbes and Riggs, as the rythym section, works it out.

Allen's "Get Out" brightens up the mood with it's Manciniesque feel to it, especially when it affords Forbes a rare bass solo.  The final track, "Danielle", by Cohn is a seductive latin-kissed ballad soulful and sinful for Saturday night listening with your significant other.  So even if Deffaa kind of overplays the point of defining a working band, he makes his point.  All working bands should work together as good as this quartet.  And this CD proves that case.

Tracks: With The Wind and the Rain in Your Hair, Take Four, It's Been a Long, Long Time, Hey, Look Me Over!, Seven Came Eleven, I'll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her, Travisimo, Get Out, Pick Yourself Up, and Danielle

Reviewed by: James Dewey Davis

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