The Larry Bond Trio
Larry Bond; Bob Mills; Richard Moore
Independent (www.larrybondtrio.com)
If you enjoy good quality relaxed jazz with a mix of standards and lesser known numbers, this CD may be for you. From Rogers and Hammerstein to Thelonious Monk, George Shearing and Thad Dameron, Larry Bond and his cohorts provide a solid hour’s worth of good listening. While there are no frantic tracks on this offering, it certainly would not be fair to label it with the hackneyed easy listening label. A total of nine top quality tunes with an interpretation to match, cover a spectrum of rhythms from Waltz for Debbie to Blue Bossa. Larry Bond’s piano dominates, as one might expect, but he certainly does not hog the show. Throughout, this CD is a tasteful team effort with excellent balance. Particularly interesting are the somewhat unconventional up tempo treatments of It Might as Well be Spring and Stella by Starlight. All in all an excellent addition to the library of some standards and lesser known numbers in a relaxed jazz style.
Jack MacQuarrie
