One on One
It is one of the enduring mysteries of jazz that trumpet-flügelhorn virtuoso Clark Terry is rarely mentioned in the same hallowed terms usually reserved for innovators such asDizzy GillespieandMiles Davis, of whom he was very much a peer, a contemporary, and, in many ways, a mentor. A native of that trumpet-toddling town, St. Louis, Terry encapsulates all that is modern and enduring in the American brass tradition, the very personification of the oral tradition going back toLouis Armstrongand the pre-recording age, the swing-big band era, and the bebop revolution. He has been a charter member of the finest big bands, such as those ofLunceford,Ellington, andBasie, and he has recorded memorable dates with pianists as diverse in technique and temperament asThelonious Monk,Cecil Taylor, andOscar Peterson.In his eighth decade, barely able to walk, his eyesight failing, Clark Terry is nevertheless resplendent in the autumnal glow of his creativity, having forgotten more than most trumpeters will ever know about the horn and the history of jazz--which is what makesOne on Onesuch a bold, personal statement. Documenting intimate encounters with 14 of the finest pianists in jazz,One on Oneshowcases Terry's buttery tone, impeccable phrasing, and painterly palette of timbral shadings. Of particular beauty are his richly inflected, heroically laid-back ballad performances onEubie Blake's "Memories of You" (withRoland Hanna) andHoagy Carmichael's "Skylark" (withMarian McPartland). Still, Terry remains one of the great swingers on any instrument, and his buoyant syncopations and sassy tone on "Blue Monk" and "Jungle Blues" seem to sum up the eternal, enduring qualities that make for a great jazz solo.--Chip Stern