by Ken Dryden
Marian McPartland rarely turns out dull recordings, but this bossa nova album from the early 1960s has a lot working against it. She's stuck with a primitive sounding Wurlitzer electric piano on several tracks, while the monotonous percussion of drummer Dave Bailey, augmented by Ralph Dorsey's conga drums and Bob Crowder's tambourine, grows tiresome after a few songs. McPartland's rarely heard compositions &With You in Mind& and &Stranger in a Dream& sound better without the bossa nova rhythm on other albums. Her successes include the jaunty take of &Sweet and Lovely,& and the exotic interpretation of &On Green Dolphin Street.& Fortunately, her aggressive take of &Straight, No Chaser& finds the Latin rhythm a bit more subdued than the other tracks. Bassist Ben Tucker is outstanding throughout the session. Originally recorded for the long-defunct Time in 1963 and later reissued by Bainbridge on both LP and CD, it is now out of print due to the demise of the latter label.