This double-CD set gave bassist
Milt Hinton an opportunity to engage in reunions with many of his old friends from the 1930s. The seven sessions were compiled during a 12-month period and the results are often delightful. The opening "Old Man Time" is sung by
Hinton himself, and it is both insightful and humorous. The other highlights include
Joe Williams singing "Four or Five Times" (which features some very rare
Flip Phillips clarinet), three bass guitar duets with
Danny Barker, appearances by
Dizzy Gillespie,
Lionel Hampton,
Clark Terry,
Al Grey,
Ralph Sutton, and the formation of a group called "The Survivors" that has guitarist
Al Casey at age 75 being the youngest member; the latter band also includes 85-year-old trumpeter
Doc Cheatham,
Eddie Barefield,
Buddy Tate and even
Cab Calloway. A lot of storytelling takes place during the songs and, in addition to the 92½ minutes of music, there are two "Jazzspeaks." The 13-minute one features
Hinton,
Calloway,
Cheatham and
Barefield reminiscing about their experiences in the early days, while a marvelous 45-minute monologue by the bassist covers most of his long and productive life and is consistently fascinating. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow