This live CD features multi-reedist
Marty Ehrlich
playing clarinet, alto sax, and soprano sax alongside trombonist
Ray Anderson
and backed by bassist
Brad Jones
and drummer
Matt Wilson
, and while it starts off gentle and introspective, it soon becomes a raucously swinging date that combines hard bop with a New Orleans flavor that's infectious and exciting. The combination of clarinet and trombone is one that rarely fails to hold the listener's interest, and when the trombonist is a master of
's caliber, there's much to enjoy. The rhythm section, too, is terrific;
is a hard-swinging player who locks in perfectly with bassist
Jones
, allowing the two co-leaders to stretch as far out as they like in their solos, knowing that there will always be a supple yet firm foundation beneath their feet.
Anderson
seems to dominate proceedings more than
Ehrlich
; the saxophonist's relatively thin, acerbic lines don't grab the listener's ear with nearly the same gutsy force as the trombonist's lung-clearing blasts and smeary honks. This isn't all retro-minded blare, though;
"The Lion's Tanz"
is a demonstration of avant-garde technique from both hornmen, and when the rhythm section comes crashing in at the piece's midpoint, it's got all the fury of
John Zorn
's late-'80s
Ornette Coleman
tribute,
Spy vs. Spy
. But good-humored, crowd-pleasing swing is the primary mode here, and the thunderous applause between numbers is well deserved. ~ Phil Freeman