Together Again
was the first full reunion in the studio of
the Benny Goodman Quartet
(featuring the clarinetist, vibraphonist
Lionel Hampton
, pianist
Teddy Wilson
, and drummer
Gene Krupa
), and although they would get together on an infrequent basis over the next decade, this was their last studio recording. In general, the classic swing stars avoided re-creating their past triumphs and instead recorded veteran standards that they had missed the first time around.
Krupa
's bass drum work (which is meant to fill in for a bassist) gets a bit heavy-handed at times, but the good spirits of the reunion uplift the music. Highlights include
"Seven Come Eleven,"
"I've Found a New Baby,"
"Runnin' Wild,"
and the blues
"Four Once More."
~ Scott Yanow