Al Cohn and
Bob Brookmeyer appeared on a number of record dates together, each appearing as a sideman with the other, in addition to joint appearances on a number of
Manny Albam-led sessions, among others. But this disc, initially issued by Coral on LP in 1957, was one of the hardest to acquire until its 2005 reissue as a limited-edition CD. With the assistance of pianist
Mose Allison, bassist Teddy Kotick, and drummer Nick Stabulas in the rhythm section,
Cohn and
Brookmeyer inspire one another throughout the sessions.
Brookmeyer contributed the upbeat "Good Spirits" and breezy "Lazy Man Stomp."
Cohn's strong originals include the cool ballad "Winter" and the swinging "Back to Back." They also update a number of standards from earlier decades, including
Brookmeyer's exotic setting of "Ill Wind" (a terrific feature for
Cohn) and
Cohn's surprisingly uptempo setting of the usually hackneyed "Chloe." Since this CD reissue will no longer be available after March 2008, cool jazz fans are advised not to miss this edition. ~ Ken Dryden