Hank Jones w/strings

Larry Kart · December 16, 2015

Found this for $2 at my local Half-Price Books store:

http://www.amazon.com/Meridian-String-Quart-Hank-Jones/dp/B000089Y9K/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1450218560&sr=1-2&keywords=hank+jones+meridian

Hank is in inspired form and gets to stretch out a good deal, Manny Albam’s writing for the string quartet is exceptional and handsomely played (I remember the album he did with Hal McKusick, four cellos, and rhythm in the mid-‘50s), bass and drums are Rufus Reid and Dennis Mackrel, fine recording job by Jim Anderson. And it’s on a Sonny Lester label — go figure.

mjzee · December 16, 2015

I totally agree. Surprisingly excellent album. Hank was always a class act, but this album is a cut above.

Joe · December 16, 2015

I'll look for this.

And, agreed: the McKusick IN A 20 CENTURY DRAWING ROOM is one of the finer "soloist with strings" LPs in my collection. Barry Galbraith has a lot to do with that, of course.

https://youtu.be/GvyCgEEhw_k

Edited December 16, 2015 by Joe

Larry Kart · December 16, 2015

My friend Bill Kirchner says that Albam told him he got the strings to swing pretty much (I think they do a heck of a job, and their role is more than decorative) by having them phrase like they were playing Baroque music. Sounds like he had them cut way back on vibrato, too, which probably goes without saying.