Bob Brookmeyer & Friends
(Columbia/Legacy)

The secret weapon in this unique session is the drummer, the one and only Elvin Jones. Trombonist Bob Brookmeyer also had enlisted old friend Stan Getz on tenor, and he in turn brought vibes player Gary Burton on board (read the liners, apparently the session wasn’t quite as ‘friendly’ as the album’s title implies). With these three particularly adept at playing it cool, Elvin manages to kick the proceedings up a notch, aided quite ably by Herbie Hancock on piano and Ron Carter on bass. The resulting originals and standards are a little fiercer than typical Getz fare, though not as insane as Elvin’s trips with Coltrane. The cherry on top is Tony Bennett dropping in to sing “Day Dream.”

The music here occupies a nice in-between place that’s fascinating and enjoyable to hear, with everyone putting in strong performances. Perhaps the tension during this recording was a good thing. - Michael Fortes