Terell Stafford
This Side Of Strayhorn
Maxjazz
www.maxjazz.com
By George W. Harris

Trumpeter Terell Stafford was the perfect guy to come up with this
concept; the Billy Strayhorn songbook. It’s been done a couple of times
before, most notably by Joe Henderson a decade or two ago. This one
rings just right, as Stafford has the heart and soul of a lion, which
fits like a fresh cotton shirt for Duke Ellington’s alter ego.
Stafford’s team of Tim Warfield/ts-ss, Bruce barth/p, Peter
Washington/b and Dana Hall/dr focus on the lyrical and lithe side, for
the most part, and deliver with elan. Stafford’s horn on “UMMG” and
“Lush Life” glows like a full moon, while Warfield’s tenor, in
particular, would fit right in Ellington’s reed team with a molasses
rich “Smada.” Besides the more popular Strayhorn tunes, a couple of
surprises, most notably the bluesy “Lana Turner” keep the disc sounding
fresh, while the eyebrow raising statement of the them during “Johnny
Come Lately” will literally jolt you out of your daydream. A
refreshing return to melody and class.