Makin' Whoopee...and Music!

Personnel: Svend Asmussen (violin); Richard Drexler (piano, organ).
Audio Mixers: Mike Badalamenti; Gary Baldassari.
Jazz violin titan Svend Asmussen, who recorded these sessions in the weeks prior to his 93rd birthday in the winter of 2009, became the elder statesman of his instrument after the death of Grappelli. His superb rhythm section consists of pianist/organist/bassist Richard Drexler, guitarist Jacob Fischer (whose name was omitted from the credits on the back cover), and drummer Tony Martin. Many of the pieces are standards that have been in his repertoire for decades, including fun-filled treatments of "Makin' Whoopee" and "There Will Never Be Another You." The joyful "Singin' in the Rain" has Drexler simulating raindrops with a catchy vamp in the upper end of the piano as the leader offers his light-hearted solo, while Asmussen's lyrical setting of "Skylark" is sentimental without being syrupy. There are also timeless jazz pieces like the strutting rendition of "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" and a brilliant "Nuages" showcasing both Asmussen and Fischer. The violinist penned a pair of originals, highlighted by the soulful "Sermon for Stuff" (a tribute to the great violinist Stuff Smith, with whom he worked on numerous occasions after Smith moved to Denmark), with Drexler's gospel-infused organ and piano backing him.