Excursion in Blue

by Scott YanowJohn Handy's first recording as a leader in eight years is one of his very few conventional straigh-tahead sessions. Assisted by either Jim McNeely or Buddy Montgomery on piano, bassist Rufus Reid and either Billy Hart or Eddie Marshall on drums, Handy (doubling on alto and tenor throughout the CD) performs four fairly straightforward originals, plus "My One and Only Love," Sonny Rollins' "Paul's Pal" and "How Deep Is the Ocean." John Handy plays so well throughout this little-known set that one wonders why he has recorded so infrequently throughout his career. Well worth picking up.