During a visit to Los Angeles in June 1983, clarinetist
Chuck Hedges crossed paths with pianist extraordinaire
Johnny Varro on two occasions. First, they played a gig at
Gatsby's, a Brentwood club where
Varro was a regular -- and after that, they entered a Hollywood studio with bassist
Ray Leatherwood and drummer
Gene Estes and recorded this excellent album, which was released as the
Magna Graphic album
The Square Roots of Jazz in 1983 before being reissued as the
Delmark CD
Skylark in 1995. The improvisers enjoy a strong rapport throughout the session, which generally recalls the small group swing of the '30s and '40s.
Hedges and
Varro are equally melodic, and their warm lyricism is something to savor on familiar standards that include
"Autumn Leaves," "Skylark," and
Fats Waller's
"Jitterbug Waltz." Thelonious Monk's
"'Round Midnight," which
Orrin Keepnews described as "the national anthem of jazz," is an interesting choice for
Hedges -- though it has been recorded by countless beboppers, hard boppers, and post-boppers, it isn't the first song that swing or Dixieland artists think of. But the song certainly works for
Hedges and
Varro. Swing fans will definitely want this album. ~ Alex Henderson
