Duncan Hopkins, Who Are You? The Music of Kenny Wheeler, TPR Records ***

Overly pastel shaded perhaps. But what this worthy Kenny Wheeler themed album from the quartet of bassist Duncan Hopkins most rewardingly achieves is to send you immediately again to a range of Wheeler classics. The guitarists - Reg Schwager and …

Published: 28 May 2023. Updated: 10 months.

Overly pastel shaded perhaps. But what this worthy Kenny Wheeler themed album from the quartet of bassist Duncan Hopkins most rewardingly achieves is to send you immediately again to a range of Wheeler classics. The guitarists - Reg Schwager and Ted Quinlan - play perfectly well. But there is a spark missing to really get the tunes again. And the lack of sonic impact in the audio quality of this Toronto recorded studio album is also not at all ideal. The truncated All the More (Soul Note) tune 'Mark Time' half the length of that 1990s album version does itself no favours by opening with an extensive drum solo by Michael Lambert. 'Who Are You?' from Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor and the hauntingly sung Norma Winstone's Azimuth '85 is the title track of this newly released Wheeler album of instrumentals. And like all the other Wheeler classics here make you want to immerse yourself in his meltingly bittersweet oblique musical universe lingeringly all over again. Duncan Hopkins, photo: publicity shot

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Last to survive member of classic The 'In' Crowd line-up drummer Redd Holt dies

Red Holt, as spelt, above on the right with Eldee Young and Ramsey Lewis on The 'In' Crowd Argo sleeve art. The passing away at the age of 91, the last to survive member of classic Bohemian Caverns 1965 Ramsey Lewis Grammy winning pop chart …

Published: 28 May 2023. Updated: 10 months.

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Red Holt, as spelt, above on the right with Eldee Young and Ramsey Lewis on The 'In' Crowd Argo sleeve art.

The passing away at the age of 91, the last to survive member of classic Bohemian Caverns 1965 Ramsey Lewis Grammy winning pop chart fixture The 'In' Crowd and departure to the sweet hereafter of drummer Isaac 'Redd' Holt marks the end of a remarkable jazz piano trio that made history - one of the most celebrated and best selling feelgood live jazz trio albums of the last 60 years. Lewis died in September 15 years after the band's bassist/cellist Eldee Young went to glory. The Mississippi born Holt in the 1950s played with Lester Young and served in the US army before playing with Lewis. Later Holt and Young formed their own bands together.