Ivey-Divey
Clarinetist Don Byron's albums frequently reflect an ongoing battle for control between two sides of his artistic identity: the virtuoso instrumentalist and shrewd conceptualist. Sometimes, in mounting his concepts, which have ranged from atribute to klezmer king Mickey Katzto analbum of tunes by offbeat '30s bandleaders John Kirby and Raymond Scott, he hasn't given his playing free enough rein. WithIvey-Divey, inspired in part by a great 1946 album teaming tenor legendLester Youngwith pianistNat King Coleand drummerBuddy Rich, Byron gives each side of his talent a fair shake. Honoring his source, he offers his own luminous take on tunes from it including "I Cover the Waterfront" and "I've Found a New Baby." While paying homage to Young, though, he cuts loose to deliver his freest and most dazzling performance on record. Emphatic where Young was famously laid back, soaring where Young floated, he joins forces with the brilliant, adaptable young pianistJason Moranand fearsome drummerJack DeJohnette(sounding great these days, having pared back his excesses) to create a classic of his own. No standard-issue tribute,Ivey-Diveyincludes intriguing reworkings of twoMiles Davisclassics, "Freddie Freeloader" (fromKind of Blue) and "In a Silent Way," and the gleeful original "'Leopold, Leopold ... ,'" a nod to Bugs Bunny's impersonation of conductor Leopold Stokowski. Then there's the boogie woogie classic "The Goon Drag," on which Byron gives a rare sampling of his sound on tenor, joined by trumpeter Ralph Alessi and bassistLonnie Plaxico. Everything's ivey-divey, and hunky dory as well.--Lloyd Sachs