Artist: Marc Johnson
Album: Two by Four
Genre: Post-Bop
Label: EmArcy
Released: 1989
Quality: FLAC (image+.cue)
Tracklist:
- Killer Joe (Golson) - 4:43
- Spartacus - Love Theme (North) - 3:44
- Dinner for One Please, James (Carr) - 6:43
- One Finger Snap (Hancock) - 4:21
- Miss Teri (Johnson) - 6:02
- Monk's Dream (Monk) - 3:54
- Gary's Theme (McFarland) - 6:43
- Beautiful Love (Gillespie-Young-King-Alstyne) - 3:18
- Ain't Misbehavin' (Waller-Brooks) - 3:00
- Time Remembered (Evans) - 5:26
- Goodbye Porkpie Hat (Mingus) - 5:05
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- Personnel:
- Marc Johnson - acoustic bass
- Gary Burton - vibraphone (#6,7,10)
- Lucy Crane - vocal (#8,9)
- Makoto Ozone - piano (#3-5)
- Toots Thielemans - harmonica (#1,2,11)
This series of duets featuring bassist Marc Johnson with different guests could be considered a tribute to Bill Evans, because it includes such a number of songs associated with the late pianist (though only one is an Evans composition); Johnson served with distinction as the bassist in Evans' last trio. Harmonica player extraordinaire Toots Thielemans joins Johnson for a beautifully strutting take of "Killer Joe," afollowed by an amazingly soft and subtle take of Alex North's "Spartacus Love Theme," a favorite of Evans that Johnson never got the opportunity to play with him. Also very effective is the very slow arrangement of "Goodbye Porkpie Hat." Vibraphonist Gary Burton also appears on three tracks, with a dreamy take of the melancholy "Gary's Theme" and gorgeous version of Evans' "Time Remembered" meriting special attention. Pianist Makoto Ozone also appears on three duets, proving to be an inspired choice as well. Johnson was extremely satisfied with the pianist's playing of the leader's rather challenging "Miss Teri," Ozone is also up to the rapid-fire, uptempo post-bop of Herbie Hancock's "One Finger Snap." Singer Lucy Crane is probably unfamiliar to jazz fans, as this was her major label debut (she's the widow of Fred Crane, an early teacher and mentor of Johnson's); she provides spirited vocals on both "Beautiful Love" and "Ain't Misbehavin'." One of the better releases to come out in 1989, this now unfortunately deleted CD is well worth an intense search.
Review by Ken Dryden