As of 1998, when this CD was released,
Scott Hamilton had recorded over 30 albums as a leader for Concord. Although all are quite worthwhile, the swing tenor's consistency and unchanged style since the 1970s have resulted in a certain sameness and predictability to his recordings. This release, however, definitely stands apart from the crowd, for it is a set of tenor/guitar duets that
Hamilton performs with
Bucky Pizzarelli. A tribute to
Zoot Sims (one of
Hamilton's early influences), this is a very successful outing.
Pizzarelli's mastery of the seven-string guitar allows him to play basslines behind solos, so one never misses the other instruments. Although the duo performs a variety of standards, there are also some lesser-known pieces among the highlights including the title cut,
Al Cohn's "Two Funky People," the
Sims/
Cohn collaboration "Morning Fun," and the obscure "In the Middle of a Kiss." Both
Hamilton and
Pizzarelli sound inspired in this format, stretching themselves while always swinging.
Pizz had recorded a duo album with
Sims back in 1973, and
Zoot also cut a full set with guitarist
Joe Pass a couple years later. This excellent, slightly offbeat outing is on the same level as those two and is highly recommended to fans of swinging mainstream jazz. ~ Scott Yanow