Scott Hamilton - Classics (2022) [Hi-Res]

Scott Hamilton and a swinging rhythm section deliver a delightful and creative programme of well-known themes from the classical repertoire - reimagined and repurposed for jazz quartet. Scott Hamilton needs no introduction. The celebrated American tenor icon is instantly recognisable with his timeless sound, impeccable taste and flawless decision making. Hamilton's sound - equal parts breathy fog and meaty girth - harkens back to another era while remaining relevant and refreshing. He's calmed and collected in his musical choices, like Ben Webster or Zoot Sims at the height of their prowess. His warm, lush tonal language breathes new creative life into themes most people have only heard in their original classical contexts. The classical material the group has selected for this session has been so tastefully renovated (and cleverly retitled) that it might fool even advanced jazz listeners into thinking they've somehow missed a couple of timeless standards. Some are easy to 'decode' (My Reveries, based on Claude Debussy's Rverie), while others are delightfully playful in their rebranding: Moon Love (based on Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony) and Homoresque (Antonin Dvorak). He and his rhythm group - made up here of Jan Lundgren on piano, Hans Backenroth on bass and Kristian Leth on drums - forge ahead in tandem, with a masterful demonstration of space and dynamics. The vision they all share is clear, the playing is clean, the production is both warm and crisp and the whole concept is wonderfully creative.