The Cookers (featuring Billy Harper, Eddie Henderson, George Cables at a bunch of other old time all stars)
Warriors
Jazz Legacy Productions
www.jazzlegacyproductions.com
By George W. Harris

In opera, they call it “strazziatura,” the art of making beautiful music look easy. Here are a bunch of guys that were on the second tier of jazz stardom; never quite the big cheese themselves, but blue collar workers who steadily did their jobs as reliable Joe The Plumbers of jazz. Now, before they are mourned for their absence, they get together and perform like Second Hand Lions.

Who is the leader of The Cookers, which consists of Billy Harper/ts, Eddie Henderson/tp, David Weiss/tp, Craig Handy/as-fl, George Cables/p, Cecil McBee/b, and Billy Hart/dr? Who knows, and who needs one here? The band is filled with fire, and except for Freddie Hubbard’s supercharged “The Core,” the tunes are from the guys in tow. Cables’ “Sweet Rita Suite” and “Ladybugg” feature Handy’s lovely flute on the former and Henderson’s sweet horn on the latter, while Harper’s two compositions are seductively dark, foreboding and raucously performed with the spirit of Rocky in the 15th round. The whole session has a verve and excitement that is missing in 90% of what’s put out by today’s imitators and wannabes; these guys are like the man on the flying trapeze-flying through the air with the greatest of ease. Don’t let this one pass you by.