It all began at a dinner party thrown by Scott Asen, the founder of Turtle Bay Records after Fulton and Lindquist played a duo set. Asen was impressed and declared at one point that he wanted to record them.
He did, recording the album in the very room that the party took place in.
The resulting ten tracks are delightful.
After the intimacy of The Very Thought of You with Fulton's silky vocal and Lindquist's dextrous clarinet choruses comes an instrumental - an original by both participants titled Don't Do That to Me. Fulton plays piano as if she was born on the corner of 12th St. & Vine (if there ever had been such a junction in Kansas City!) and Lindquist wails on alto sounding more like a Blue Devil than a Scandinavian saxophonist.
You Can Depend on Me has more swinging alto underpinned by some juicy chords from Fulton who hits a Garner mode during her solo and rephrases the lyric beautifully.
Tea For Two complete with my favourite verse and a sensuality that bypassed Doris Day in her version back in 1948. Great alto solo, mighty fine piano, and a vocal to die for.
Serenade in Blue features Lindquist on clarinet. Always good to hear the 'gobbo' away from the trad format and closer, albeit not slavishly, to the Shaw/Goodman modus operandi.
Someday You'll be Sorry has vocal, piano and alto delivering the goods before Blossom Dearie's I Was Looking For You raises an already high bar even higher. Lindquist's alto again sustains the mood captured by Fulton.
Bésame Mucho shines the spotlight on Lindquist's alto and despite the melancholy minor key it sparkles.
For My Monday Date he reverts to clarinet with Fulton pushing him to the limit ending up with an exchange of fours. How much more meaningful fours become when there's no drummer involved.
P.S. I Love You is one of those songs that send chills up and down my spine and Fulton's vocal enhances the feeling. That Johnny Mercer certainly knew how to write songs and Gordon Jenkins' melody gives both Fulton and Lindquist a seam to mine and hit paydirt. An absolute 40 carat gem! Available May 2. Lance
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