Musicians: Joey De Francesco (Hammond B3 organ & keyboard), George Coleman (saxophone), Byron Landham (drums), Jake Langley (guitar), Colleen McNabb (vocal on I'm In The Mood For Love).
Review:
This "official bootleg" was recorded live at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA, April 6-9, 2006, with special guest, George Coleman, on saxophone. First, George Coleman who takes right on off on Cherokee and the rest of these cuts. I love saxophone players. Stan Getz and Joe Henderson are gone. My son gave his up for rock 'n' roll and the race for stardom in tinseltown. I don't even know if my favorite living sax player is still with us but he was Stan Getz' sex tech for over 15 years constantly repairing and re-repairing an old beat up sax Getz just loved. He once was the arranger for the Air Force Band and a member of Buddy Rich's group. Enter George Coleman; just in time. Thank you, George Coleman. Where can I get more George Coleman, which almost rhymes with George Foreman? Does he have multiple children all named George too? I do not know. But he was on DeFrancesco's last CD, Organic Vibes, as well and on two live Miles Davis dates - Four And More and My Funny Valentine.
Organist DeFrancesco had the tapes rolling for this concert and decided this was his next CD and properly so. My daughter, the jazz pianist, once got to sit in on organ with her jazz drummer husband and Will Blades at John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom Room. Later, Dr. Lonnie Liston Smith told her she should be an organ player. Maybe she should. Jimmy Smith is now in that celestial orchestra in the sky and Jerry Garcia went and died on an incredible organ player in his Jerry Garcia Band, Melvin Seals. Seals is trying to keep the band afloat without Garcia. I know I'd pay to see a Melvin Seals Band. Wouldn't you?
On this set you get a lot of tried and true standards and the soloing by DeFrancesco, Coleman and singer Debbie McNabb on "I'm In The Mood For Love" is top notch. I don't know that I was all that familiar with Lee Morgan's "Ceora." But now I am as it's here alongside Rodgers and Hart and Johnny Mandel. Tasty; this CD grabs you right away and holds on all the way through "Autumn Leaves." It's on Concord and a keeper! Surprise, surprise. Now if my daughter can get my grandson going on bass she'll have her own organ trio.
Tracks: Introduction - Joey; Cherokee, Ceora, I'm In The Mood For Love, On Green Dolphin Street, Little Girl Blue, Autumn Leaves.
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