Brad Terry - Live in Fort Andross (2010)

Brad Terry (born 1937) is a legend of the jazz clarinet, a graduate of the London Conservatory of Music, a student of Benny Goodman, an outstanding soloist and musical partner of, among others, Dizzy Gillespie, Buck Clayton, Buddy Tate and Red Mitchell. Since 1993, Terry has been working with the great Polish pianist Joachim Mencel. They both have performed many concerts and released several albums together.
Their latest album's repertoire includes jazz standards and compositions by both musicians. The whole thing was kept in a ballad-swinging atmosphere with a delicate touch of blues.
The music has a uniform, relaxing character. An important element is the sound, with the warm timbre of the clarinet and the dynamically balanced piano. The interpretations of the standards - without harmonic quirks and formal excesses - are pleasant to the ear, although some may seem too "standard". The compositions by Mencel and Terry fit into this conservative style, and it's probably a bit of a pity, because this is the only opportunity for the duo to show a slightly different side. It is true that in "Free Whistle" the men try to introduce newer elements, but the effect is not convincing, just like Terry's whistled improvisation. It is worth recalling that, next to Toots Thielemans, Terry is the most important artist using this technique.
Good music for long winter evenings. Author: Bogdan Chmura Source: HFiM 03/2010