An album by Ken Peplowski is always welcome and, after Peplowski's recent health issues, it is doubly welcome to realise he is playing as good as ever.
Vignette, a lesser known tune by Hank Jones, gets the date off to swinging start. It sounded familiar but it wasn't until after I'd borrowed a telescope from Jodrell Bank that I discovered from the notes that it was a contrafact of Sweet Sue, Just You.
Prisoner of Love I only knew from an old Perry Como 78rpm but this one, seemingly, was inspired by James Brown. Even without the words Peplowski's big sound brings out the pathos of the melody.
Beautiful Love has our man really wailing on clarinet - such dexterity! Some nice bass-work from Wind followed by a series of fours all-round which went on just long enough before his liquid tone takes it out.
He remains on clarinet for All the Things You Are. However, unlike the current trend to play the Jerome Kern tune faster than Mark Cavendish shoots out of the peloton in Le Tour, Peplowski respects the composer's original intent and plays it as a slow and dreamy ballad.
Nothing slow and dreamy about André Previn's Like Young. Funky tenor driven along by Jones III creating a great groove that's enhanced by Rosenthal on piano and Wind on bass.
The Shadow of Your Smile, a wistful sound suggesting uncertainty. Imagine a puppy or a kitten in a strange house wondering if the owner of the house likes puppies or kittens. A track of poignant beauty.
Back to the clarinet for Cabin in the Sky from the film of the same name. The 1943 movie had an all-black cast including Louis Armstrong, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Lena Horne, Ethel Waters and many more. Peplowski does it and them justice.
Monk's Bright Mississippi has Rosenthal in good form. Peplowski sticks with clarinet offering a contrast to Monk's original version with Charlie Rouse on tenor. Clarinet and piano chase each other until they're tired out. Willie Jones gives them a chance to recharge before Rosenthal jumps back in. He's done his Monastic homework.
Here's to Life contradicts those who claim that the clarinet is a cold and clinical instrument. Of course it can be, but not here. With just enough vibrato to express the emotions stirred up by Artie Butler's melody it becomes a song from the clarinettist's heart.
Who Knows? An Ellington tune I'd never heard of! Or so I thought. Investigations revealed that I had it on an old 10" LP - The Duke Plays Ellington - that had been on the shelf gathering dust for a considerable number of years. Rosenthal's piano solo comes to Duke via Monk or maybe vice versa. Whatever, it's great piano. Throw some superb clarinet and swinging bass and drums into the mix and you have a fitting finale to an album that's on the modern end of mainstream. Lance
Release date tomorrow (July 5)
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