A superior swing-based tenor saxophonist influenced by
Stan Getz and
Scott Hamilton,
Harry Allen has made an increasingly strong reputation during numerous recordings and countless live appearances. But even with his growing discography,
Hits by Brits may very well be
Allen's finest all-round recording, at least to date. He absolutely burns on the uptempo pieces ("Cherokee," "Roses of Picardy," "Just in Time," and "Limehouse Blues"), his tone sounds a bit more personal than earlier (moving a little away from
Getz) and he was very clearly inspired during the project. Trombonist
John Allred is an exuberant asset whenever he appears, guitarist
Joe Cohn has yet to take a tasteless or unworthy solo, and the team of bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs keep the music swinging and moving. The ten songs were all written by Englishmen or English-born songwriters. More importantly, all are worth hearing again in this setting. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow