Sunbeam and Thundercloud

AMG Review of Sunbeam and Thundercloud

Scott Yanow
All Music Guide

This may very well be the first full-length album ever of baritone sax/piano duets. Joe Temperley is best known for his ability to emulate Harry Carney, Duke Ellington's baritonist for 48 years. However, he also has a lot of Gerry Mulligan in his sound, as he tends to emphasize higher and lighter notes than Carney or Pepper Adams usually did, and his style falls between swing and bop. Pianist Dave McKenna, with his powerful basslines, is very much a one-man band, so these duets are quite self-sufficient. With the exception of Temperley's lyrical ballad "Nightingale" (which features the composer switching to soprano), the material is essentially standards or originals with common chord changes. "Sunbeam & Thundercloud" is a multi-tempoed blues, and the haunting "Sunset & the Mockingbird" is a little reminiscent of Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks" and is one of four songs from the Duke Ellington-Billy Strayhorn songbook. Of those, "Black & Tan Fantasy" finds Temperley switching effectively to bass clarinet, while "Lotus Blossom" is typically beautiful as the duo wisely sticks mostly to the melody. While most of the songs are taken at medium to slow tempos, there are a few exceptions. Oscar Pettiford's "Tricotism" is always good for a romp; "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me" moves; and the closing "I Got Rhythm" is a real cooker with some hot tradeoffs. Throughout the set, Temperley plays his horn with the facility of a tenor, and McKenna easily fills the role of rhythm guitar, bass and drums in addition to piano. This is a CD easily recommended to collectors of mainstream, trad, bop and swing.