Bud Shank, Bill Mays - Beyond The Red Door (2007)

Tracklist

01. Red Door
02. The Wind / The Peacocks
03. Why Not Now'
04. Quietly
05. The Touch of Your Lips
06. I Loves You Porgy
07. Carousels
08. Everything I Love
09. Where or When

Bud Shank and Bill Mays first joined forces back in the '70s, but the alto saxophonist's opportunities to use one of his favorite pianists diminished when Mays moved to the East Coast. This reunion is a fun-filled duo date with many playful moments, starting with the jubilant take of "The Red Door." Mays' idea to combine two haunting ballads in medley form, Russ Freeman's overlooked gem "The Wind" and "The Peacocks" (one of Jimmy Rowles' best known works and a favorite of the late Bill Evans, among many others), works beautifully, as the two deliver a heartfelt performance. The pianist also contributed his bittersweet waltz "Quietly." Their spacy introduction to the standard "The Touch of Your Lips" is hardly a typical bop arrangement, while the jaunty setting of "Everything I Love" has a choppy flavor and some of Shank's best playing of the session. Shank co-wrote two pieces with his wife Linda: the nostalgic "Carousels" (first conceived as a bossa nova years ago) and the unusual "Why Not Now?," an intriguing work that defies musical labels. Highly recommended!

DOWNLOAD ALBUM [flac]