The first fact one needs to
know about the Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet is that it is, as described in the
liner notes, a "working band." This may sound like a negligible fact
on Hey, Look Me Over, but it isn't. A number of famous combos in the history of
jazz have only played together in the studio. Here, however, guitarist Cohn,
tenor Allen, bassist Joel Forbes, and drummer Chuck Riggs have developed the
synchronicity that only comes from performing together night after night. For
Hey, Look Me Over, that equals an hour of lovely ensemble work highlighted by
some well-wrought guitar and tenor workouts on a solid set list. The next thing
one would want to know about the Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet is that they play
traditional mainstream jazz with such pizzazz that one would never mistake it
for regurgitated classics. With two or three exceptions, this is an upbeat,
happening set, with vibrant versions of Charlie Christian-Benny Goodman's
"Seven Come Eleven" and the title cut. "Seven Come Eleven,"
in particular, is a six-minute free-for-all, with superb back-and-forth
exchanges between Cohn and Allen played against Forbes' busy bassline and
Riggs' frantic backbeat. Hey, Look Me Over is the kind of tuneful,
well-executed album that makes the listener feel good. ~ by Ronnie D. Lankford,
Jr., AMG.
Arbors Records, ARCD 19333, 2004
Recorded 28th
& 29th August, 2004 At Nola Studios, New York City
Musicians:
Harry Allen - Tenor Saxophone
Joe Cohn - Guitar
Joel Forbes - Bass
Chuck Riggs - Drums
Tracks:
01. With The Wind And The
Rain In Your Hair {Jack Lawrence, Clara Edwards} (6:30)
02. Take Four {Al Cohn}
(6:08)
03. It's Been A Long, Long
Time {Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne} (6:11)
04. Hey, Look Me Over! {Carol
Leigh, Cy Coleman} (6:19)
05. Seven Come Eleven
{Charlie Christian, Benny Goodman} (5:30)
06. I'll Only Miss Her When I
Think Of Her {Sammy Cahn, Jimmy Van Heusen} (6:24)
07. Travisimo {Al Cohn}
(6:08)
08. Get Out {Harry Allen}
(6:32)
09. Pick Yourself Up {Dorothy
Fields, Jerome Kern} (3:18)
10. Danielle {Al Cohn} (7:30)
Credits:
Producer - Harry Allen
Executive Producer - Ikuyoshi
Hirakawa for Swingbros, Inc., Japan
U.S. Executive Producers -
Rachel and Mat Domber for Arbors Records, Inc.
