Hank Jones; Speak Low; The Great Jazz Trio, Eighty-Eights

This is a Japanese project that has the appearance of the all to frequent “super group” project inspired by some fantastically rich Japanese jazz producer who pays a phenomenal amount of money to get a group of well known musicians in the studio for a one time, often dismally uninspired session that gets hyped and fussed about in an aggressive marketing strategy only to yield next to nothing of musical significance.  Well, it may have that appearance, but the truth is that this is great music.  Hank Jones, pianist and brother of drummer Elvin and trumpeter Thad, is 80 years old and man does he sound fresh!  This collection of 10 standards is exquisite.  John Patitucci on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums make this latest incarnation of “The Great Jazz Trio”, which is in fact the creation of a Japanese producer, but one that while changing members over the years, has yielded several significant recordings and even performed live on occasion, definitely worth a listen.  The music of experience and maturity is a pleasing sound.