Flip Phillips - Try A Little Tenderness (1992)

A bit of a disappointment, this date matches together veteran tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips with a fine rhythm section (pianist Dick Hyman, Howard Alden or Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, bassist Bob Haggart and drummer Ronnie Traxler) and 13 strings. Phillips sings his own "If I Had a Penny" and doubles a bit on bass clarinet; he plays fine but mostly sticks close to the melodies. The lack of tempo or mood variation in Hyman's ballad arrangements makes this CD better heard in small doses rather than as a whole. The music is pleasing but sometimes bordering on sleepy. ~ Scott Yanow

Personnel: Flip Phillips (vocals, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone); Howard Alden, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Stan Kurtis, Anthony Posk, Yuval Waldman, Carmel Malin, Peter Dimitriades, Alvin Rogers , Anahid Ajemian, Regis Iandiorio (violin); Lamar Alsop, Julien Barber (viola); Jesse Levy, Charles McCracken (cello); Dick Hyman (piano); Ron Traxler (drums).