by Scott Yanow
The first of two LPs taken from an all-star jam session, this album features Al Cohn and Dexter Gordon on tenors, trumpeters Blue Mitchell and Sam Noto, pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Louis Hayes. Together they perform &Lady Bird& (the two trumpets play Miles Davis' &Half Nelson,& which has the same chord changes, at the same time), the ballad &How Deep Is Tthe Ocean& and a 17½-minute blues &True Blue.& All of the musicians play up to their usual standard. This album was soon joined by Silver Blue from the same date.