Bud Shank, alto sax & Bill Mays, piano – Beyond the Red Door – Jazzed Media

by | Jul 9, 2007 | Jazz CD Reviews | 0 comments

Bud Shank, alto sax & Bill Mays, piano – Beyond the Red Door – Jazzed Media JM1027, 71:45 *****:

I tend to find duos in jazz such as this nearly always a delight. It takes guts to expose one’s artistry in this way, without the rhythm section to lean on.  Perhaps my displeasure with many drummers – who I find don’t treat their drum set as a real musical instrument – is a factor in my attraction to almost any sort of duo. When you take two legends in jazz who have a past history of successful working together behind them, the results can’t be a bust.

I thought it was interesting that in his notes for the CD Bud Shank begins by describing his listening to an old cassette of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony on a boom box in his patio.  He says Beethoven was the original “Dr. Feelgood” in music and hopes that his session with pianist Mays produces such joy and happiness in listeners, because it did for both of them.

The opening track was a tune from Zoot Sims and Gerry Mulligan; they never explained exactly what was behind the Red Door.  Track two is one of the most successful and beautiful medleys of two tunes I’ve heard in some time: Shank played alto flute on Chet Baker’s original LP of The Wind. (I’m sorry Shank has decided not to play the flute anymore – a great loss I feel.)  It fits together in gorgeous fashion with Jimmy Rowles impressionistic balled The Peacocks. There are two original tracks which Shank and his wife Linda wrote together, plus tunes from Gershwin, Porter, Rodgers and Hart, and Ray Noble.  All are played with the greatest creativity, virtuosity, good humor and unexpected turns of phrase and rhythm.  These two obviously know one another musically through and through!   Feeling good is guaranteed by the end of Track 9!

TrackList: Red Door, The Wind/The Peacocks, Why Not Now?, Quietly, The Touch of Your Lips, I Loves You Porgy, Carousels, Everything I Love, Where or When.

 – John Henry

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