VA - JVC Jazz Festival Live! A Night Of Chesky Jazz : Town Hall, New York (1993)

All of the music on this CD comes from the June 24, 1992, concert at Town Hall in New York City, with a host of artists each being featured. Trumpeter Tom Harrell leads off with two fine originals, the turbulent "Journey to the Center" and the mellow but swinging "Weaver." His very strong supporting cast includes ex-boss Phil Woods on alto sax, tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano, and pianist Jim McNeely, as well as bassist Peter Washington and drummer Bill Goodwin. Pianist Fred Hersch is next, beginning with a dazzling trio arrangement of Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti's "Nostalgia," with some superb arco cello by Erik Friedlander and powerful percussion from Tom Rainey. A captivating medley of two Hersch originals, "Child's Song" and "Forward Motion," and the humorous (and well-named) "Nostalgia," adding saxophonist Rich Perry, round out his set. Brazilian guitarist and singer Ana Caram was one of Chesky's most-recorded artists during the 1990s, and her brief set is a good example of why she appealed to fans of bossa nova. Woods returns to the stage to join Paquito D'Rivera and his band for a sensational two-clarinet version of "Birk's Works," with a brief tag of "Estamos Ai'" tacked onto the end. The only complaint is that the full set by each group merited a separate release, or at least this release should have been a two-CD set to better document what must have been a very memorable concert to attend that evening in New York City. -- Ken Dryden