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Henry Robinett Quartet: Jazz Standards, Volume 1: Then
ByJazz Standards, Volume 1: Then, not surprisingly, plays it straight. No insane reharmonizations or metric oddities, and no moves into the outer limits. These fourRobinett plus pianist Joe Gilman, bassist Chris Symer and drummer Michael Stephansjust swing and sing with their instruments. Opening on "I Hear A Rhapsody," things are bright as expected. Then the quartet dials it back a bit with "Yellow Days (La Mentira)," rides high with an enthusiastic take on "The Days of Wine and Roses" and a highly-caffeinated "The Way You Look Tonight," and deals in a more casual vibe with "Ill Wind." The second half of the album keeps the chestnuts coming with a down-the-middle "East of the Sun," fiery "Invitation," measured "Soul Eyes" and "Why Do I Love You?," and snappy "Pinocchio." All of it, not surprisingly, goes down easy.
While Robinett may have benefited from the variety that something like a waltz, bossa or pure ballad setting could've offered, and while the drums seem to be mixed a tad too high, these are minor gripes. The guitarist and his band mates clearly have a way with standards, and that shows. With more on the waya second set from the original sessions and two additional volumes worth of material delivered by the same band, reconvened in 2019the future looks bright for this project.
Track Listing
I Hear A Rhapsody; Yellow Days (La Mentira); The Days of Wine and Roses; The Way You Look Tonight; Ill Wind; East of the Sun; Invitation; Soul Eyes; Why Do I Love You?; Pinocchio.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Jazz Standards, Volume 1: Then | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Nefertiti Records
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Henry Robinett Quartet
Album Review
Dan Bilawsky
Jazz Standards, Volume 1: Then
Nefertiti Records
Henry Robinett
Joe Gilman
Chris Symer
Michael Stephans