Cozy Cole - A Cozy Conception Of Carmen (1961, 2006)

Bizet never sounded so groovy -- and the album's a very unique jazz version of his famous opera Carmen, handled by drummer Cozy Cole with plenty of swinging rhythms! Cozy always had a flair for the exotic in his work, and the music of Carmen turns out to be a perfect choice for his driving style of drums -- augmented here by a bit of extra percussion that further enhances the Spanish tinges in the music, and topped off by some well-crafted horn parts by a small orchestra that includes Jerome Richardson on baritone sax, clarinet, piccolo, and bass clarinet! Bob Hammer contributes some piano, organ, and glockenspiel to the record -- the last of which further enhances the rhythmic pulse of the tunes -- and far from being an operatic snoozer, the whole album's a surprising groove fest! Titles include "Prelude", "Chorus Of Street Boys", "Habanera", "Seguidilla", "Flower Song", "Sextet", "Entr'acte", and "Castanet Dance".