Just for Fun

Chuck Hedges was never someone to turn to for innovation; his swing recordings of the 1990s and 2000s sound like they could have been recorded in the 1940s. But the clarinetist can usually be counted on for quality, and Just for Fun is no exception. This CD is, for the most part, state-of-the-art small group swing — which is ironic when you consider that it was recorded in 2000 (55 years after the swing era ended). Few surprises occur; Hedges excels by sticking with what he does best, and that means playing favorites like "Dinah" and "Deep Purple" very much the way that Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, and their colleagues would have played them in the 1930s or 1940s. Hedges (who is joined by pianist Eddie Higgins, bassist Paul Keller, and drummer Ed Metz, Jr.) isn't oblivious to bop — his version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba," for example, is more bop than swing — but as a rule, Just for Fun is faithful to the Goodman/Shaw school of swing clarinet playing. One could complain about the fact that Just for Fun offers so few surprises when it comes the choice of material. The two Duke Ellington gems that Hedges' quartet embraces on this album ("Come Sunday" and "Black Butterfly") have been recorded extensively, and while no one is suggesting that he should give up standards altogether, it would have been nice to hear the clarinetist interpret some of the Duke's lesser-known work — there are a wealth of great Ellington pieces from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s that didn't become standards and often go ignored. Regardless, Just for Fun is excellent. Hedges may not be the most adventurous jazzman in the world, but when it comes to playing swing with a lot of heart and warmth, he's unbeatable.