Ken Peplowski has long been recognized as one of the top clarinetists and tenor saxophonists of his generation in the U.S., while
Jesper Thilo, a Danish tenor saxophonist who also doubles on clarinet, has recorded with many visiting Americans and has seen his own star rise in Europe. This 2002 performance at Birdland Jazzclub in Hamburg is evidently the first of two volumes, a well-recorded intimate evening full of memorable music. After the album opens with a swinging two-tenor interpretation of "Vignette,"
Peplowski switches to clarinet for the breezy extended workout of the oldie "I Want to Be Happy."
Thilo's solo feature is "Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You," playing full-bodied tenor (à la
Coleman Hawkins) and adding a friendly vocal, while
Peplowski's lyrical clarinet is showcased in the relaxed, lyrical setting of "Polka Dots and Moonbeams." Both reedmen sit out "In Your Own Sweet Way," a lightly swinging feature for the rhythm section, which consists of pianist
Thilo Wagner, veteran bassist
Isla Eckinger, and drummer
Gregor Beck. The rousing two-tenor finale of the blues "Centerpiece" also includes a long detour into "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," though the latter song is unlisted in the CD credits. The booklet could have been improved with liner notes explaining how this pairing came about, along with identifying the order of solos when the two men play the same instrument (though
Peplowski fans will have little trouble identifying his more playful style) and giving more information about the rhythm section. ~ Ken Dryden