Flower Walts

AMG Review of Flower Walts

Ken Dryden
All Music Guide

This 1978 live date recorded in a unnamed Copenhagen nightclub finds Zoot Sims and the Kenny Drew Trio in great form; the outstanding bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Ed Thigpen (both of whom worked with Oscar Peterson in separate time frames) round out the supporting cast. The first portion includes two unaccredited pieces, a lively ossa nova called "Flower Walts" and the hythm & blues-flavored "Fled," featuring some of the tenor saxophonist's harder-edged blowing. Following a lyrical take of the infrequently recorded "I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone," the quartet devotes themselves to strong interpretations of three classics from the Duke Ellington songbook: a swinging "In a Mellotone," an all too brief "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)," and a romp through "Caravan," with Sims switching to soprano sax and a fine solo by Thigpen. This is an excellent CD, though the label was very sloppy with the text in several places within the booklet. Highly recommended, as are virtually all of Zoot Sims' releases.