Clark Terry has made so many fine records in the 1990s that virtually all of them are recommended; this Chesky CD is no exception. A quintet date with tenor saxophonist
Jimmy Heath, pianist
Don Friedman, bassist Marcus McLauren and drummer
Kenny Washington,
Terry plays a variety of original tunes based on the blues and other fairly common chord changes. The good-humored music (which includes such song titles as "One Foot in the Gutter," "Serenade to a Bus Seat" and "Ode to a Flugelhorn") is quite enjoyable, highlighted by
Terry's
Mumbles vocal on "Joonji," a few creative singalongs, and lots of exciting flugelhorn playing. This fine set is rounded off by ten minutes of storytelling by
Terry that covers
Count Basie,
Duke Ellington, jazz education,
Dizzy Gillespie, and
Miles Davis. ~ Scott Yanow