Received this yesterday from CDUniverse:
and gave a couple of spins.
I've never heard this music before and was really excited that Verve had decided to reissue it.
First impressions:
It's a nice disc - unpretentious, easy going music. Both Mulligan and Hodges were masters in producing such an atmosphere and they do it effortlessly here.
3 tunes are those lazy-blues Hodges was famous of. It's always nice to listen to any of Hodges-Blues tunes. I liked the more finger poppin' "Back Beat" the most.
2 tunes by Mulligan. Both dedicated to Hodges: "Bunny" and "18 Carrots for Rabbit". These two are my favorites in this album. Bunny is sprightly, sunny and lighthearted. 18 is energetic and jovial. The interplay between Mulligan and Hodges here is at its best.
This is definitely not an essential Mulligan or Hodges, but it's a nice album to listen to.
ps, why using these awful digipaks? They are ugly, cheap looking and in my case at least - the CD almost cracked when I tried taking out of the box.
But hey - I'd be happy to buy the CD wrapped in a brown paper bag, if that would endure the continuation of the Verve reissue program.