Bob Powers

MARIETTA, OH, USA - Welcome back. I hope you missed me as much as I missed you. The stacks of spanking new CDs have continued to grow while I took a brief respite from writing. Let's both hope that no further interruptions will occur for months to come. I need you, probably lots more than you need my evaluation of new music. I consider my job to be one that certainly keeps me smiling when all is going awry around me.

As I type this, Rosemary Clooney is singing brightly, the volume turned up (I love to have Rosemary slide right into my bones.) Playing one of my pile of Clooney achievements comes as bittersweet. The music reminds me of the times when wife Betty and I were so lucky to be in the presence of the greatest pop singer of the era. She was a woman who loved life and who spread smiles and good will everywhere she traveled.

Rosemary also treated me as someone important, although many times I was a lowly music writer for a Midwestern newspaper, later conducted an early-morning entertainment report on a radio station in Columbus, Ohio. No matter, Rosemary treated me as one of the legion of friends who came to pay homage to this beautiful woman with a remarkable singing talent. May she enjoy her days entertaining the crowds in Heaven.

Now, to the new music.

Daddy Pete & Kids

The new album that's been occupying heavy playing time at the Powers household is "Live!" (Concord Picante). The Escovedo Family Orchestra, led by the master percussionist Pete Escovedo along with members of the talented Escovedo clan, performs a program recorded in San Diego at a concert staged in the summer of 2002.

You don't need to be a Latin music enthusiast to enjoy this big band display that should please anyone who appreciates great music done with aplomb and heart. Leader Pete has long showed a mastery of Latin rhythm and is spectacular working with the timbales. Included in the band are sons Peter Michael and Juan. The gentlemen music lovers will appreciate daughter Sheila E., who's had quite a career on her own. Here, she plays with flair and pizzazz on percussion. She's a delight and one beautiful lady.

Jimmy Scott Again!

Singer Jimmy Scott, possessor of one of the most unusual voices and delivery in all of show business, has been undergoing a revival of his long, long career. If you've never heard this tiny master of the ballad, you might start by acquiring his latest, "Moon Glow" (Milestone).

If you didn't know better, you might assume that Scott is a member of the opposite sex. He possesses a vibrato that would shake buildings and he treats a song (mostly old warhorse pop ballads) as if the tune was receiving its debut and Scott was determined to make that introduction as memorable as he could.

All of Scott's recent ballads have been classics deserving of the Scott treatment. This album includes ten of the best, including the title song, along with "Since I Fell for You," the magnificent oldie written by 40s bandleader Buddy Johnson. Then there's John Lennon's wonderful "Yesterday," and such winners as "How Long Has This Being Going On?" and the terrific but less heard "I Thought About You." The album winds up with a dazzling version of "We'll Be Together Again."

Let's hope we get together (and soon) with this remarkable singer.

Gene Harris Lives!

When pianist Gene Harris died in January 2000, the music world lost a jazzman who needed more recognition. He was a superior jazz performer who added a blues touch to his work, perhaps for that fact his popularity never ascended to spectacular levels.

Personally, I keep CDs by Harris in an easy-to-reach spot, because I often feel in the mood for music that will force my feet to go tap-tap-tap and a smile to jump across my face. Gene Harris played with a freedom that is the essence of jazz and with a constant smile on his face.

Concord Records has 20 Gene Harris CDs in print, so the only problem for you is picking which one you'd like. You could do worse than "Live at Otter Crest," which was recorded in 1981 at the Inn at Otter Crest (does anyone know where that is?). Sizzling support comes from Jimmy Smith on drums and John Heard plucking that bass for superior results.

Six compositions are heard and two have more than 11 minutes each so Harris can perform his magic tricks. Two gems of the big band genre receive a trio interpretation that could be breathtaking. You won't soon forget Frank Foster's "Shiny Stockings" and Neal Hefti's classic "Cute." Harris performs at his patented best in his own composition, "A Little Blues There." and does marvelous matters with "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Introduce yourself to Gene Harris. I'm willing to bet that you'll soon be acquiring more of the bounteous bonanza of titles from Concord.

Howard and Bucky!

When I first put "In a Mellow Tone" (Concord) on the CD turntable, I soon made a decision. This is, I thought, the best album of 2003.

Okay, the year isn't over yet and there often are some especially appealing albums released during the holidays.

Anyway, this CD should make it onto many lists as a contender. And why not? Howard Alden and Bucky Pizzarelli would place near the top of any poll taken of today's premier guitar jazzmen. These guys are simply at the top of the heap and they prove it with every note of this supreme release.

Some of you reading this column may wonder how two guitarists could possibly produce enough music to satisfy a listener for the full length of the album. Believe, oh ones of little faith, Alden and Pizzarelli achieve a special brand of greatness in this pairing. Don't expect this to be a one-shot affair. I would think that word of mouth will translate into healthy sales, making the obvious return to the studios a sure thing.

The album opens with the title tune, a Duke Ellington standard. The interplay of the guitarists is sweet, rhythmic and completely satisfying. Claude Thornhill's "Snowfall," which was the theme song for his 1940s era big band, receives a warm and lush treatment.

I especially grooved on "What's New?" and smiled broadly during the performance of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles." There never can be too much Fats Waller, and his "Jitterbug Waltz" receives a delightful reading.

Howard and Bucky, you are quite a pair. This album could top a bunch of lists near the end of 2003.

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