Richard Davis, Sir Roland Hanna, Frederick Waits - Persia My Dear (1987)

This 1987 date by bassist Richard Davis, pianist Sir Roland Hanna, and drummer Frederick Waits is a sweet little session that features Davis in light of his brilliant arco skills as well as his deep, intricate melodic interplay. He is an iconoclast in this manner, as rhythm is the line but harmony and melody for him are the touchstones from the heart of the instrument to the heart of the composition. His solos throughout are breathtaking exercises in aplomb, quiet grandeur, and a lush use of colors. Hanna, who composed three of the tunes here, including the stellar opener "Manhattan Safari" with its scalar chord runs in the bridge, is the consummate hard bop pianist in that he allows everything into his playing -- blues, gospel, swing, theatrical music, etc. -- and organizes it around the notion of phrase against time. His rhythmic heavy-handedness gives the date a real groove feel without flowing over into soul-jazz territory. It's far too adventurous a session for that. Other standouts on the set are the title track, a shimmering ballad written by Davis, and Horace Silver's funky hard bop nugget "Summer in Central Park."