Jazz Standard Time

Three musicians from Michigan, all brothers, who went their separate artistic and professional music ways for 25 years have been brought together under the aegis of the Sea Breeze Jazz label for an album of classic standard material plus two originals. Dan Jacobs on trumpet and flugelhorn, Rod Jacobs on drums, and Chuck Jacobs on bass are joined by Nashville jazz guitarist Randy Dorman plus percussion for this very acceptable session of highly lyrical and melodic performances. Carrying the main musical responsibility is the Chet Baker-like understated, cool horn of Dan Jacobs and the tastefully resonant guitar of Dorman. They collaborate on virtually every track and are especially mutually harmonious on the Brazilian beat "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars" and the straightforwardly played "Old Folks." While most of what is being performed has been played countless times before by a countless number of good musicians, the brothers bring sufficient originality and freshness to their arrangements that each of these tunes are worth revisiting. The arrangements of "Summertime" and "Love for Sale" combine the highly jazzed trumpet of Dan Jacobs and bluesy guitar of Dorman laid atop tasteful percussion by Brian Kilgore and the drums of brother Rod Jacobs, making this piece sound as if they were coming from a café in Rio de Janeiro that also features classic New Orleans jazz. Very good stuff indeed. All the stops are pulled on a rousing bonus track of "Desert Sunrise" where Jacobs' trumpet takes on Spanish coloring. A beautifully haunting "Can't Stop the Crying" by Bobby Shew has been included as a hymn of remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001. Hopefully it won't take another quarter century for the members of this talented family to get to the studios one again. Recommended.