Drummer Donnie O'Brien could have played it safe. He could've easily picked lesser-known Basie standards and done the whole project by the numbers. Instead, he gathered tenor Carmen Leggio, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, pianist John Bunch, and bassist Jay Leonhart, and attempted to capture the spirit of the innovative bandleader on a handful of his most familiar pieces. Meets Manhattan Swing in a Basie Mood may be a rather cumbersome title, but the music is never awkward. The set fearlessly begins with "One O'Clock Jump" before delivering a handful of fresh interpretations of classic material like "Lester Leaps In" and "Body and Soul." Leggio offers a solid link to traditional saxophonists like Lester Young and Illinois Jacquet. Both Bunch and Pizzarelli have also made fine albums for Arbors, and they turn in exceptional work here. Bunch hints at Basie's spare style without imitating it, while Pizzarelli delivers a potent combination of chords and single note leads. There's also a guest appearance by his son, John Pizzarelli, on "Lester Leaps In." Keeping everyone swinging along are Leonhart, and of course, leader O'Brien. The choice of material, spacious arrangements, and inspired takes shows that all of these players would've fit right into Basie's lineup between 1936-45. A fun album lovingly performed. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

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