Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Al Grey - Jazz at the Philharmonic, 1983 (Pablo/OJC, 1983)

This post is by Scott

Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (ts); Harry "Sweets" Edison (tr); Al Grey (tb); Art Hillery (p, org); John Heard (b); Roy McCurdy (d)

Recorded on December 15, 1982

The title Jazz at the Philharmonic, 1983 is something of a misnomer.  Unlike real JATP events, this is a studio recording.  More significantly, this album doesn't have the frenetic, jam-session vibe typically heard at those concerts.  Instead, this session feels like a relaxed gathering of old friends who have gathered to shoot the breeze and swap stories.

There's a looseness, an offhand quality, to many Pablo albums -- and sometimes that casual spontaneity works to the music's detriment.  When things don't go well, the music can sound schlumpy and tired.

On the other hand, sometimes the musical results are wonderfully congenial and unforced.  And that's what we have here: Three jazz masters in deep, deep conversation, supported by a sympathetic rhythm section.  

The music they made feels as right as rain.