1 	My Foolish Heart 	5:30
2 	Russian Lullaby 	7:59
3 	What Is There To Say 	5:40
4 	That Old Black Magic 	5:22
5 	Skylark 	5:58
6 	Night And Day 	5:48
7 	Embraceable You 	6:27
8 	Am I Blue 	6:03
9 	These Foolish Things 	6:10
10 	The More I See You 	6:23
11 	The Song Is You 	5:47
12 	This Love Of Mine 	6:23

Bass – Steve Gilmore
Drums – Bill Goodwin
Piano – Eddie Higgins
Tenor Saxophone – Scott Hamilton

Eddie Higgins has been a solid bop pianist for decades, though he seems most appreciated by the folks who run the Japanese label Venus, for whom he has recorded frequently in his golden years. Joined by two-thirds of Phil Woods' longtime rhythm section (Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin), along with special guest Scott Hamilton on tenor sax, Higgins explores a dozen ballads, most of which have been favorites of jazz musicians longer than the pianist has been playing professionally. Higgins doesn't mind taking a back seat to Hamilton's Ben Webster-inspired tenor, though he can also wail when he chooses to do so. The snappy take of "Russian Lullaby" is a highlight, featuring all four of the musicians in turn. One can hear Higgins singing softly to himself as he introduces his lush arrangement of "Embraceable You." While there is nothing groundbreaking about any of the selections, this is excellent music that will provide a perfect backdrop for any jazz fan's romantic evening. ---Ken Dryden, AllMusic Review

download (mp3 @320 kbs):

yandex mediafire ulozto gett bayfiles

back

1 	In Love In Vain 	6:16
2 	You Leave Me Breathless 	5:59
3 	A Handful Of Stars 	8:15
4 	Come Rain Or Come Shine 	6:37
5 	April In Torino 	6:09
6 	Night Has A Thousand Eyes 	8:11
7 	Flamingo 	5:34
8 	Breezin' Along With The Breeze 	5:56
9 	A Portrait Of Jenny 	7:12
10 	Softly As In Morning Sunrise 	5:23
11 	All To Soon 	5:12

Bass – Jay Leonhart
Clarinet – Ken Peplowski
Drums – Joe Ascione
Piano – Eddie Higgins
Tenor Saxophone – Scott Hamilton

Arguably the biggest star in the Venus Records roster, pianist Eddie Higgins has released numerous trio recordings from the label. He also has an on-going collaboration with veteran tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, beginning with the 2001 quartet album Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and continuing with My Foolish Heart and My Funny Valentine.

Wonderful clarinetist and tenorist Ken Peplowski joined this union to make it a quintet on It's Magic, which won the Swing Journal 2007 Best Compilation Award. Now, the golden quintet returns with their latest, A Handful of Stars. The three giants, assisted ably by Jay Leonhart and Joe Ascione, create beautiful and romantic music in a relaxed mood.

They are not breaking any new ground here, but their masterful tastes, gentle swing and warm interactions are as lovely and comfortable as a fireplace in the middle of winter. ---elusivedisc.com

download (mp3 @320 kbs):

yandex mediafire ulozto gett

back