Paco Paco

Bill McBirnie's fourth CD for his Extreme Flute label, an all-Canadian date combining duets with pianist Bernie Senensky, and adding bassist Neil Swainson and drummer John Summer for the quartet selections, covers a lot of familiar ground, but with a fresh outlook, since many of the songs are associated more with saxophonists than flutists. His adaptation of John Coltrane's "Like Sonny" lightens its mood considerably, and he perfectly captures the whimsical mood of Thelonious Monk's "Hackensack," one of his two playful duets with Senensky. The old hymn "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus" is at first transformed into a lively march, then segues into a hard bop setting as the pianist solos. Keith Jarrett's moody ballad "My Song" provides an interesting twist, with McBirnie's flute building upon its wistful air in a beautiful duo arrangement. The one original of the date is Senensky's turbocharged Latin chart "Paco Paco," a demanding work which the musicians master with ease. Highly recommended.