Negative Positive
Title: Crashing Cohn's Party
Review: This rather quirky selection includes 6/11 of a quintessential Al Cohn date originally released on the Dawn label as "Cohn on the Saxophone." The one contribution by Zoot Sims is certainly solid, and the three by Dexter Gordon include a rare appearance on soprano saxophone, but the effect is anticlimactic and distracting. Shame on Biograph (the reissuer) for not giving us the entirety of what is arguably Cohn's best work on record and a simply stellar example of mainstream modern jazz as played by five masters in absolute synch with one another (trombonist Frank Rehak's inspired solo work equals Al's). Regardless, there's sufficient material from a truly exceptional session to demonstrate convincingly why at least one of the three featured "Tenor Sax Masters" deserves the description.
Is the review positive or negative? 