CD REVIEW - NEW ISSUE

ARTIST: RON ENYARD TRIO & GUESTS
TITLE: LIVE AT KALDI'S AGAIN
LABEL: CADENCE HISTORICAL SERIES

TUNES: IF I SHOULD LOSE YOU / GIVING / I CAN DREAM, CAN'T I / ALMOST LIKE BEING IN LOVE / DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE FROM ME / YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS / THIS I DIG OF YOU. 62:42.

PERSONNEL: Ron Enyard, d; Jim Connerley, p; Bob Bowen, p/b/d; David Young, ts (2); Paula Owen, vcl (3, 4, 5); Sandy Suskind, flt (6); Jamey Aebersold, saxophone (7). No date, Cincinnati, OH.

Drummer Ron Enyard, whose trio brought live jazz to Kaldi's in Cincinnati for an impressive eight-year run, presents some of the music his groups recorded at the storied Cincinnati establishment over this period. The veteran Enyard, who has performed with such varied jazz artists as King Pleasure, Herb Ellis, Charlie Rouse, Woody Shaw and others, is joined on this recording by pianist Jim Connerley and bassist Bob Bowen, with guest performers added on most selections. "If I Should Lose You" features the core trio, who thoughtfully delve into the 14-minute opener. Instrumental guests David Young (on tenor sax on "Giving"), Sandy Suskind (flute on "You Don't Know What Love Is") and Jamey Aebersold (alto on "This I Dig of You") each provide strong and well-developed solos in their respective appearances, again on cuts of generous length (10 or more minutes each). The middle three shorter selections feature vocalist Paula Owen, who brings a stylized, Nancy Wilson-like quality to standards "I Can Dream, Can't I," "Almost Like Being in Love," and "Don't Take Your Love from Me." Live club sounds convey an informal atmosphere to the recording, allowing listeners to imagine the music in a live jazz setting. Enyard adds in the CD notes that these Kaldi performances represent "one of the great gigs to ever have played," which through the years have included such musicians as Chuck Carter, Kenny Poole, Al Kiger, Josh Breakstone, Bob Bodley, Ed Felson, Steve Schmidt, and Gordon Brisker.

Don Lerman

CD review from
Volume 41, No. 2: April, May, June,
2015 issue
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