Hallows Eve Tales Of Terror CD

The collection starts appropriately with a Jay Hungerford composition, Ode To Pettiford, which is based on Oscar Pettiford's "Tricrotism", a renowned showcase for jazz bass players. Jay has fashioned a new line just as challenging as the original, and Carolbeth True is up to the challenge, attacking the unison line with precision and then crafting a thoughtful and sprightly solo.

Ptah Williams is next, giving the standard Gone With The Wind an ebullient, bravura treatment which demonstrates his formidable technique.

Eddie Fritz's arrangement of Gershwin's Fascinating Rhythm is just that: fascinating and rhythmic, applying off-beat accents to an already syncopated melody. I've heard him doing this 'live' and I'm glad to have a recorded version in my collection.

The Heather On The Hill is a lovely ballad from "Brigadoon", which gets a moving and sensitive performance from the talented Dave Venn.

In the mood for a little baroque? Then check out Pat Joyce's Bach-like interpretation of Pick Yourself Up, replete with some crisp jazz playing reminiscent of Marian McPartland.

Next is the widely admired traditional jazz pianist Jean Kittrell. whom I've heard playing at numerous jazz festivals around the midwest. She delves into the Scott Joplin songbook and comes up with a rag in 3/4 time called Pleasant Moments, in which Jay's bass doubles the melody to good effect.

Jimmy Williams is a St. Louis stalwart, and his version Of Get Out Of Town is in the bop tradition. Cole Porter would have liked it.

I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good is an Ellington classic, played here with feeling and restraint by Jan Ammerman.

Russ David plays a tour de force on Opus One, his own composition. It's full of varied tempos and virtuoso playing, and I would like to use a baseball analogy to describe this track: a home run with the bases loaded.