The lush and lovely
I'll Take Romance pairs
Bud Shank with the
Len Mercer Strings, a significant and welcome about-face from the small group sessions that otherwise dominate his late-'50s Pacific Jazz output. Far removed from the sometimes bloodless sensibilities of the West Coast cool school,
I'll Take Romance is as warm as its title portends. The string arrangements are sweet but never sentimental, boasting a sensitivity that colors but never overwhelms
Shank's lyrical alto and flute. The material, though familiar, is expertly sequenced and artfully crafted, while chestnuts like "Deep Purple" and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" are positively radiant.