Illinois Jacquet - The Blues; That's Me!

The soul of a Texas tenor !

I'm quite partial to the sound of the Texas tenors and this disc lives up to my every expectation. Illinois Jacquet has always been one of my favorites when it comes to deep toned tenor and on "The Blues, That's Me!" Illinois serves up heap's of it! To make matters even tastier, the inclusion of legendary four string guitarist Tiny Grimes add's that one extra ingredient which makes this platter a pleasing and worthy addition to any jazz/blues collection. This session is filled with soulful swinging blues, hence the c.d.'s title and opening track. Along the way we're treated to a wonderful brooding rendition of "'Round Midnight" where Illinois lies down his tenor in favor of bassoon, adding even more temperment to Monk's moody classic. Pianist Wynton Kelly along with the rhythm section of Buster Williams {bass} and Oliver Jackson {drums} certainly deserve praise as they Swing to their soul's content on the the irresistible romp "The Galloping Latin", proving that good jazz doesn't always have to be so damn serious. After a reworking of the Stevie Wonder hit "For Once In My Life", It's only fitting that this disc end where it all began, with a final dose of the blues, as Illinois and company treat us to a rollicking version of Memphis Slim's "everyday I Have The Blues". The folks at Prestige have again released a winner!! October 31, 2003

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