Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Eddie Daniels Quartet: Mean What You Say

Eddie Daniels Quartet: Mean What You Say

By Ken Dryden
October 28, 2006
View read count

Eddie Daniels Quartet: Mean What You Say

For Mean What You Say, Eddie Daniels reunites with two of his bandmates from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra (Hank Jones and Richard Davis), plus Kenny Washington on drums. He also brings his tenor sax on this fine studio date for the first time in quite a while.

Although he has concentrated on the clarinet for decades, Daniels still has plenty of tenor chops, as evident on his boisterous interpretation of "Mean What You Say and the lyrical setting of "My One and Only Love (which will immediately conjure the famous recording by John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman). But most of the disc focuses on the clarinet. Jones is at his very best with his elegant work on Duke Ellington's "Azure and Billy Strayhorn's "Passion Flower.

The group delves into popular music from the '30s, including a romp through "Nagasaki and the easygoing "It Had to Be You. Daniels and Jones collaborated on the playful duet "Why You, a piece inspired by the famous punch line (often uttered by Moe Howard right before he was about to slap or poke one of his fellow Three Stooges). Daniels also revisits his earlier recording of Charlie Parker's "My Little Suede Shoes, taking a lot more chances as he is propelled by Washington's strong percussion. The support provided by Davis and Washington (the latter often using brushes) is also essential to this outstanding release.

Track Listing

Mean What You Say; It had to be You; Passion Flower; Nagasaki; My One and Only Love; Why You...; Azure; The Touch of Your Lips; You and the Night and the Music; I'm Getting Sentimental Over You; My Little Suede Shoes; How Deep is the Ocean.

Personnel

Eddie Daniels

clarinet

Eddie Daniels: clarinet, tenor saxophone; Hank Jones: piano; Richard Davis: bass; Kenny Washington: drums.

Album information

Title: Mean What You Say | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: IPO Recordings

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Jazz at Prague Castle 2006
< Previous

Phil Kelly and the SW Santa Ana Wind...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.