Bassist
Bill Crow is better-known for his work as a sideman than as a leader, but his second CD for Venus validates the old saying "better late than never." Once again joined by tenor saxophonist
Carmen Leggio, guitarist
Joe Cohn, and drummer
David Jones,
Crow leads his quartet through 12 tunes, mixing standards, classic jazz compositions, and a pair of originals. The buoyant take of
Oscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark" has great solos by each member of the band, while
Leggio and
Cohn trade tasty licks during "In a Mellotone."
Crow's arrangement of "'Round Midnight" is played at a brisker than usual tempo with a bossa nova rhythm, while
Leggio's mellow tenor sax swings like mad in
Lester Young's "Tickletoe." "On the Alamo" is a once-popular tune that has long since fallen out of favor, though the quartet's delightful exploration of this old chestnut works beautifully. "Mack the Knife" is in danger of overexposure, but this fresh interpretation does not settle for the predictable paths.