Playboy Jazz After Dark 2
The titleJazz After Dark IIreferences late night seduction as conjured up in the slow, but purposeful, pace of ballads. The set's two discs are smartly divided into instrumentals and vocals. The thematic focus aligns a broad range of players from Chet Baker to Ella Fitzgerald. There are the classicists (Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Duke Ellington) and the modernists (Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk), with small combos and duets being the setting for them all. The vocal disc covers the greater span of years, with performances by contemporary singers (including Curtis Stigers, Karrin Allyson, and Peter Cincotti) alongside vintage tracks by some of their mentors and influences.--David Greenberger