DAVE FRISHBERG
Lookin' Good (Concord)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Lookin' Good is a two-fer package, which means a double dose of Dave Frishberg. In this case, it's the 1977 release Getting Some Fun Out Of Life and 1990's Let's Eat Home. Though their releases were separated by over a decade and each features a distinctive approach, the most important thing about each album is what they have in common - one of the finest traditional pianists and most original songwriters in the jazz world.

Disc One is the '77 release, and it's a showcase for Frishberg's skill at the keyboard. Drawing from some often cited but too seldom heard books, including Claude Hopkins, Hoagy Carmichael, Fats Waller, Bix Beiderbecke and Jelly Roll Morton, Frishberg leads a quintet (Bob Findlay, trumpet; Marshal Royal, alto; Larry Gales, bass; Steve Schaeffer, drums) through a set of classic songs performed in a variety of classic styles. Stride or swing, boogie or blues, everything Frishberg tries works on this one. There's only one of his always appealing originals, in this case a tribute to Beiderbecke, but his playing is so engaging that his writing is hardly missed.

The lack of original tunes on Disc One is remedied with a half dozen of the selections on Let's Eat Home, including the title track. He shares credit with Johnny Mandel on "Brenda Starr" and Al Cohn on "The Underdog," but that's fine company to be keeping and each is stamped with Frishberg's trademark wit. The real standout, though, is the "Billy Strayhorn Medley," a 8 1/2 minute solo piano tour de force. Once again, the quality of Frishberg's musicianship shines bright enough to challenge the brilliance of his songsmithing. He's joined on most of the other cuts here by Rob McConnel (valve trombone), Snooky Young (trumpet), Jeff Hamilton (drums) and Jum Hughart (bass), who all turn in performances worthy of their esteemed leader.

There's hardly a jazz collection out there that couldn't benefit from a little more Dave Frishberg, and this set is a great way to add some to yours.

Track Lists:

Disc One (Getting Some Fun Out Of Life): Lotus Blossom * I Would Do Anything For You * Stevedore Stomp * Violet Blue * Old Man Harlem * Dear Bix * Save It, Pretty Mama * Alligator Crawl * In A Mist * Wonderful One * Getting Some Fun Out Of Life * King Porter Stomp

Disc Two (Let's Eat Home): Brenda Starr * Let's Eat Home * Al Cohn Medley * Matty * The Mooche * I Was Ready * Strange Music * Billy Strayhorn Medley * A Ship Without A Sail * Lookin' Good * The Underdog

© 2002 - Shaun Dale