Sam Jones - Changes & Things (Music CD)

Bassist Sam Jones' recordings as a leader have generally been underrated, but virtually every one is well-planned and recommended. Although the gathering of the impressive sextet on this Xanadu LP (trumpeter Blue Mitchell, trombonist Slide Hampton, tenor saxophonist Bob Berg, pianist Barry Harris, drummer Louis Hayes, and Jones) could have resulted in a jam session, the music ("Stablemates," Oscar Pettiford's "Laverne Walk" and originals by Jones, Hampton and Mitchell) often has tightly arranged sections and avoids the obvious. The solos are colorful and purposeful, the material fairly diverse, and the results consistently swinging yet rarely predictable. Hopefully, Xanadu will reissue the music on CD someday. ~ Scott Yanow