During a visit to Los Angeles in June 1983, clarinetist
Chuck Hedges
crossed paths with pianist extraordinaire
Johnny Varro
on two occasions. First, they played a gig at
Gatsby
's, a Brentwood club where
Varro
was a regular -- and after that, they entered a Hollywood studio with bassist
Ray Leatherwood
and drummer
Gene Estes
and recorded this excellent album, which was released as the
Magna Graphic
album
The Square Roots of Jazz
in 1983 before being reissued as the
Delmark
CD
Skylark
in 1995. The improvisers enjoy a strong rapport throughout the session, which generally recalls the small group swing of the '30s and '40s.
Hedges
and
are equally melodic, and their warm lyricism is something to savor on familiar standards that include
"Autumn Leaves,"
"Skylark,"
Fats Waller
's
"Jitterbug Waltz."
Thelonious Monk
"'Round Midnight,"
which
Orrin Keepnews
described as "the national anthem of jazz," is an interesting choice for
-- though it has been recorded by countless beboppers, hard boppers, and post-boppers, it isn't the first song that swing or Dixieland artists think of. But the song certainly works for
. Swing fans will definitely want this album. ~ Alex Henderson