Joyous Encounter

1	Autumn in New York 10:00
2	Bird's Eye View 5:28
3	Don't Ever Leave Me 3:45
4	Alone Together 5:24
5	Six and Four 5:30
6	Pannonica 8:05
7	Consummation 5:00
8	Quiet Lady 5:25
9	Joyous Encounter 4:17
10	A Child Is Born 7:08
11	Crescent 6:40

Barnes & Noble

The term "master musician" is thrown around too cheaply, but no other phrase does justice to the stature of saxophonist Joe Lovano, pianist Hank Jones, bassist George Mraz, and drummer Paul Motian, who previously joined forces on I'm All for You, a compelling all-ballad recital. On the more thematically diverse Joyous Encounter, Lovano and Jones, co-leaders who share a penchant for cliché-free melodic development, also reaffirm profound harmonic affinities. Prodded by fellow free spirits Mraz and Motian, they generate ruminative, interactive -- in a word, creative -- investigations of the songbook gem "Autumn In New York"; a pair of bebop lines (Lovano's "Birds Eye View" and Jones's "Consummation"); and challenging jazz standards like Oliver Nelson's "Six and Four," Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica," and John Coltrane's "Crescent." The leaders play unaccompanied on "Alone Together" and "A Child Is Born," the latter perhaps the most frequently interpreted piece by Thad Jones, the pianist's younger brother. Lovano himself played much Thad Jones repertoire during his 12 years with the Mel Lewis Orchestra, and his fresh approach to the two other Jones pieces -- "Don't Ever Leave Me," an effervescent bossa, and "Quiet Lady," a simmering waltz -- is emblematic of the entire program. Throughout, Hank Jones, 86 at the time of the recording, plays with knife-edge precision and abiding high humor. A high point in each member's respective discography. Ted Panken

All Music Guide

Continuing the elegant group interplay explored on 2004's I'm All for You, tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and pianist Hank Jones reunite on Joyous Encounter. Recorded right after finishing the tour in support of the group's aforementioned first outing, Joyous Encounter features a quartet with obvious love for each other and the sound they make together. Once again backed by the stellar rhythm section of bassist George Mraz and drummer Paul Motian, Lovano and Jones showcase their kindred musical spirits with a warm and pleasing mix of deft melodiscm and supple harmony. Expanding upon the ballads-only concept of their previous encounter, this Joyous Encounter finds the ensemble tackling a wide swath of improvisational territory from the urbanely swinging Lovano original "Bird's Eye View," to Thelonious Monk's lightly elegiac "Pannonica," Thad Jones' sweetly gorgeous "A Child Is Born," and even John Coltrane's other classic, the plaintive "Crescent." Matt Collar