Hi-YaWoodville ***

There are no surprises in this fine tribute to Ellington’s great altoist, Johnny Hodges, who wrote or co-wrote six of the eight vehicles selected by Alan Barnes for this amiable encounter with Scott Hamilton. And, while that suggests the comfort of the familiar, the session that produced the album turned out to be a superior example of the mainstream genre.

By now Hamilton must be the best tenor in the idiom, with a laid back authority that immediately creates a sense of space and relaxation. The busier Barnes, on alto and baritone, makes an effective contrast, while both benefit from a made-to- measure rhythm section in Dave Newton (piano), Chris Hill (bass) and Sebastiaan de Krom (drums). An album as easy as an old armchair, certainly, but replete with the feel of a group of in-form players savouring the opportunity to reminisce musically.

See woodvillerecords.com