Don Bennett - Chicago Calling (1995)

Simply put, this is a great session. Pianist Don Bennett, a veteran pianist (48 at the time) with an advanced bop-based style, is heard leading a top-notch crew of talented Chicago players. This session, which (other than the lengthy "All the Things You Are") originally came out on Southport, will be a bit of a revelation: not only does it show the somewhat obscure Bennett to be a major stylist, but it features Art Porter (best-known for his crossover efforts for Verve Forecast) as a high-powered bop soloist. Another star is the frequently exciting tenor man Ed Peterson (heard here before he recorded for Delmark), and alternating trumpeters (Art Hoyle and Steve Smyth) also fare well. Bennett not only provided five originals (including "About Time," which sounds like a Blue Note standard from the early '60s), but arranged sections that give this CD a coherent unity. Considering the consistently strong and enthusiastic solos and the freshness of the music, straight-ahead jazz collectors can consider this release essential.