The two-trombone small-combo jazz concept of
J.J. Johnson
and
Kai Winding
is alive and well, as
Conrad Herwig
demonstrates. These eight pieces, all written by
Herwig
(who plays lead melodies), have
Steve Davis
playing counter-harmonies alongside the leader on the front line.
pays tribute to eight of his trombone heroes --
Frank Rosolino
,
Raul DeSouza
Slide Hampton
Barry Rogers
Albert Mangelsdorff
Johnson
Curtis Fuller
, and
Eje Thelin
. Pianist
Orrin Evans
is exceptional, as usual, in his role as a contributor, and goes beyond the call with his inventive chording and comping. Known as a "Latinizer" of music written by
Wayne Shorter
Miles Davis
John Coltrane
keeps that trend up on the clean, bright, and moving tribute to
Rogers
(via
Eddie Palmieri
)
"Que Viva Barry,"
while going more Brazilian on the sharp, biting jazz samba
"Raulzinho's Ride."
The exceptional
"Eje's Dream"
has the trombonists trading musical shards and sharing unison harmonies on a very modern neo-bop Latin-tinged piece in homage to the late Swedish 'bonist, unique to the rest of the CD. There's typical hard bop on
"Jay Dot"
(similar to
's classic
"Wee Dot"
), the easy bluesy swinger
"Slide's Routine,"
's multiphonic intro
"For Albert,"
Davis
in beautiful off-minor harmony during
"Dubois' Delight"
(
Dubois
is
's middle name). The title
A Jones for Bones Tones
, aside from being an appropriate title for this concept album, is also a play on words based on the
Chick Corea
composition
"Tones for Joan's Bones,"
and is another exceptional effort in a string of them for
. ~ Michael G. Nastos