Danny Thompson - Whatever's Best (Remastered 2022) (2022)

Review by Stewart Mason

Rather than simply reissue his second and third solo albums, 1989's Whatever's Next and 1990's film score Elemental, Danny Thompson instead chose to drop a few minor tracks from each and combine the two for the concise, hour-long Whatever's Best. It's a wise move, as both albums had needed a bit of tightening, and Whatever's Best saves all of the highlights from both. It's an unusual quartet album, matching Thompson's upright bass and an unobtrusive rhythm guitarist to a front line composed entirely of reeds ranging from soprano sax to bass clarinet, with some Northumbrian pipes thrown in for good measure on the meditative "Dargai." It's a wildly diverse set, ranging from the Bulgarian-inspired "Sandasko Oro" to the utterly delightful "Hopdance," which sounds like the artsier cousin of Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band. Elemental added drums and piano to a similar bass-and-reeds setup, but the most successful track on the album is the simple, beautiful elegy "Musing Mingus," a heartfelt and expansive tribute to Thompson's obvious inspiration. Voiceprint later reissued both albums in full, but Whatever's Best is a worthwhile précis for the merely curious.