Terry Blaine - Lonesome Swallow (2002)

Terry Blaine and Mark Shane are two musicians who are well versed in the nuances of classic jazz, and they feed off of one another in this inspired duo session. Blaine's deep, soulful voice savors a slow-cooked arrangement of Fats Waller's "Squeeze Me" and his less-frequently heard "Willow Tree." Blaine has a lot fun with the suggestive, gossipy "Do What You Did Last Night." Shane's masterful stride piano powers James P. Johnson's strutting "You Don't Understand." Their take of "I Got Rhythm" brings the roaring '20s to mind rather than the typical swing renditions typically heard on jazz CDs. This is a delightful release from start to finish.~ Review by Ken Dryden