No More Ouzo for Puzo

AMG Review of No More Ouzo for Puzo

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

Despite the ambiguous meaning of the title cut (Puzo is for a jazz fan, Charlie Puzo, but "ouzo" is never defined), the music on this quartet set is easy to understand. Pianist Dave McKenna teams up with guitarist Gray Sargent (a new discovery at the time), bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Jimmie Smiths for memorable renditions of a few standards (including an uptempo "Look for the Silver Lining," a sensitive "Smile," and "You Brought A New Kind of Love to Me"), a few obscurities ("I Keep Going Back to Joe's" is not performed too often), and the original title cut. The interplay between McKenna and Sargent, along with the individual solos, make this another excellent entry in the pianist's extensive output for Concord.