Trombonist
George Masso and clarinetist
Ken Peplowski worked together frequently prior to this 1994 concert in Hamburg, backed by pianist
Brian Dee, bassist
Len Skeat, and drummer
Jake Hanna. Although the leader is a strong soloist,
Peplowski's impassioned solos are the ones that stick with the listener in this predominately swing-oriented program. "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" is pure magic, while
Peplowski's matchless playing carries the day in "It All Depends on You." There are a couple of twists. "Blue Monk" has an almost sauntering Dixieland flavor to it, and "If I Were a Bell" is a delightful feature for the rhythm section, with some adventurous playing by
Dee. One caveat: Nagel-Heyer originally issued this CD in 1995 under the title
Trombone Artistry, so don't be fooled into thinking this is a different release. ~ Ken Dryden