JOE LOVANO & HANK JONES
Kids: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

Blue Note

Hank Jones at Jazzitude
Joe Lovano at Jazzitude

It speaks volumes to say that, not only are drums and bass not missed on this duet sax/piano performance, but that at many times there seem to be phantom bass and drums playing on a just-inaudible level. That is partially because both pianist Hank Jones and saxophonist Joe Lovano are very rhythmically-sensitive players. Jones often brings in the bass-heavy stride piano style favored by one of his influences, Art Tatum. Jones swings just as hard as Tatum with as little effort, but he never gets caught up in the ‘gonna play as many notes as Tatum’ sweepstakes, a point noted by Loren Schoenberg in the set of excellent liner notes that accompanies this set. Lovano’s tenor improvisations are very inventive in their use of rhythm, a testament to Lovano’s absorption of lessons learned from tenorists as diverse as Lester Young and Sonny Rollins.

The numbers here, culled from a week’s performances at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, provide a wide range of styles, and present nothing short of a history lesson on jazz music and its many great performers. “Lady Luck,” the first of three compositions by Jones’ brother, the late bandleader/composer/arranger/trumpeter Thad, swings with a nonchalance that feels so good it’s got to be criminal. Jones demonstrates his lightness of touch as well as the ability to play chord voicings and arrangements that recall not only Tatum and later protégé Oscar Peterson, but the suave sophistication of George Shearing (who certainly was listening to Jones). There is plenty of tribute to the bop tradition, including Lovano’s original “Charlie Chan,” the Bud Powell/Miles Davis chart “Budo,” and Tadd Dameron’s “Soultrane.”

Lovano continues to be a shining example of the art of the tenor saxophone, his work encompassing a variety of formats and styles, but always with a warm, earthy tone and a fine ear for melodic interpretation. Still, it’s not hard to determine where Lovano’s main inspiration lies—in the music created in the 1950s and 1960s before and immediately following the death of John Coltrane, a major influence on Lovano’s playing, but not one whose development Lovano slavishly seeks to imitate. Instead, he continues to mine the rich jazz tradition both before and after this period to create great music. His two CDs recorded with Jones and the rhythm section of George Mraz and Paul Motian (I’m All for You and Joyous Encounter) stand alongside some of the great 50’s/60’s Blue Note dates. On the other hand, his work with the ECM trio including Motian and Bill Frisell is utterly contemporary and much more free and abstract. On other releases Lovano has explored larger-ensemble arrangements, Third Stream experiments, and the music of Caruso. His ballad playing is incredibly well-developed, as heard here on tracks such as “Soultrane,” and the Jones composition “Lullaby.”

For his part, Jones continues to play the understated, suave, swinging piano that is his trademark, and he proves to be an inventive an accompanist in this setting as he is a soloist. On “Lullaby” he transitions subtly from backing Lovano to his own solo choruses; there’s never too much happening in either for the listener to apprehend, even at first listening. His solo rendition of “Oh What a Beautiful Morning,” is an exercise in interpretation, as the song flows in and out of tempo.

This set is a really valuable document of these performances, and deserves a spot on listener’s CD shelves. It may not turn out to be the most essential release in either performer’s discography, but it’s difficult to imagine any listener coming away from this disc disappointed.