Pianist
Ehud Asherie's third CD for Posi-Tone is a delightful mix of standards that aren't played that often, overlooked jazz gems, and his potent originals. Joined by three veteran players, including tenor saxophonist
Harry Allen, bassist Joel Forbes, and drummer Chuck Riggs, the native Israeli (who now lives in New York) opens the session with a buoyant midtempo arrangement of
Jerome Kern's "I Told Ev'ry Little Star," showcasing
Allen's robust tenor. "Trolley Song" has fallen out of favor among jazz musicians since its heyday in the 1950s, but the pianist's driving rendition proves it is by no means dated recast as an uptempo bop vehicle.
Tadd Dameron's exotic ballad "Casbah" has a soft Latin undercurrent, backing
Asherie's sublime piano and
Allen's
Ben Webster-like tenor. The late jazz pianist
Hank Jones' "Vignette" is another forgotten jewel, highlighted by
Asherie's blues-infused solo.
Asherie and
Allen perform the lush setting of
Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing" as a duo to wrap this enjoyable CD. ~ Ken Dryden