by Rick Anderson
One of the late Red Mitchell's last recordings as a leader, this trio date finds him in stellar company, with pianist Kenny Barron and drummer Ben Riley. Mitchell and Barron long enjoyed a rather unique musical chemistry, and they don't disappoint here. The album opens with the title track, a slightly Latinish Mitchell original. The simple felicity of the melody -- and, in particular, of Barron's elaborations on it -- makes this track a simple but rich delight. Mitchell takes the lead on &I'm Old Fashioned,& playing the head in a singing, legato style as Barron and Riley fall in gradually behind him. Elsewhere, there are equally fine versions of Barron's &El Sueno& and the standard &She's Funny That Way,& as well as another exceptional Mitchell original, &Heaven's Here.& The trio's version of Thelonious Monk's &Locomotive& ends the album on a surprisingly tame note, but this disc is a solid winner overall. Highly recommended.