MUTUAL ATTRACTION

Bruce, I disliked "Home" initially. I told Paul Sipio so. Sipio works for DL Media, a public relation firm that handles publicity for this album. He praised the album, noting it resembles "Goin' Home," a recording saxophonist Art Pepper and pianist George Cables made 28 years ago, so, Sipio convinced me to give "Home" another shot. I listened to it all day Saturday. I must admit Sipio was right. "Home" is a worthwhile album. Sometimes, I have to tell publicists how much I disliked a recording they ask me to review. Believe or not, Sipio was the first to suggest I give an album a second chance. I'm glad I agreed to. You and Steve are lucky to have him in your corner.

On "Home," You and Steve are in tune like identical twins. The four tunes you wrote for this date fits Steve's style like a comfortable housecoat. Steve's phrasing on the cooker "Wall" reminds me of how Art Pepper used to zoom through chord changes. Bruce, you know Steve better than I do. Will he take my comparison the wrong way? Pepper deserves a lot of credit. Despite his personal woes, Pepper was an outstanding alto saxophonist. I bet Pepper influenced Steve. Every time, I replayed "Keep Moving" and "Blues Interruptus" I thought about Pepper's style,"

Bruce you're a sweet piano player. On the opener "All Through the Night," I thought the spirit of Bud Powell was in your left hand and Thelonious Monk guided your right hand. You created a lot of distance between notes. Steve fills up the space like a road crew potholes. A jazz fan with a keen ear will immediately notice you and Steve decided against rehearsing. I think that's a good thing. Rehearsing would've made this album feel less natural, and recording it at a home concert also made it intimate, which explains why you and Steve seem so comfortable with each other.