Swedish trombonist and vocalist
Nils Landgren joins forces with
Joe Sample and friends in New Orleans for this studio session, which mixes up a hot gumbo of R&B, jazz, and Crescent City down-home fun. The play list draws from many styles, including works by local legend
Allen Toussaint,
Ray Charles, rocker
Stephen Stills, and even
Willie Nelson, as was as originals by
Sample and one from jazz master
Duke Ellington. The duet tracks are the most fun as
Landgren shares the vocals with
Ray Parker, Jr. ("Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay") and
Charmaine Neville (on the funky "With You in Mind"). The guitar and percussion-heavy take of "Love the One You're With" leans more toward
Stills' original conception than
the Isley Brothers' overdone interpretation, though
Sample's playful licks keep things loose and the heavy overdubs of the composer are missing in this version. The only dull track is the monotonous "I Can't Get Enough of Your Love," which wears out its welcome quickly. "Creole Love Call" adds the Piety Street Brass Band for a slightly modern twist on an early jazz favorite from the 1920s. When he's not singing,
Landgren plays a mean trombone. Fortunately, this CD was completed several months before the unwelcome arrival of Hurricane Katrina. ~ Ken Dryden