A Jazz Life

AMG Review of A Jazz Life

Ken Dryden
All Music Guide

This CD may prove to be clarinetist Tony Scott's swan song, as it was released only a short time prior to his death in early 2007. The one-time op specialist evolved into a hybrid of op and the unique shrieking style of Pee Wee Russell by the time of this session, with his piercing sound being very distinctive in his unique arrangements of classic songs like "Caravan," "Summertime," and the haunting treatment of "Body and Soul." Scott also does a bit of narration and scatting in the amusing "Low, Down, Dirty, Good for Nothing Blues" and accompanies his narration of "Lush Life" on piano. The band accompanying him consists of musicians who may not be all that familiar, though they sound like a group twice as large and provide solid backing. A bonus DVD disc includes some footage of the session as it takes place, along with interviews.