Bob Florence gained the respect of many jazz musicians for his innovative scoring of familiar pieces, along with his impressive originals. His death in early 2008 provoked the recording of this excellent tribute, utilizing some of his best charts and musicians who had played with him over the years, with Alan Broadbent spelling Florence at the piano. Florence added repeated riffs in the background in several sections of his breezy setting of “Take the ‘A’ Train,” while his use of call and response and striking ensembles in his scoring of Johnny Mandel’s “Suicide Is Painless” (aka “Theme from M*A*S*H”) sets it apart from typical recordings. The composer’s sense of humor is apparent in his loping “Geezerhood,” which starts with whimsical exchanges between parts of the reed sections before taking a bluesy turn as it showcases trombonist Scott Whitfield’s delicious muted solo. A bit of Bill Evans’ “Turn Out the Stars” is utilized to introduce a rather brisk version of Michel Legrand’s “You Must Believe in Spring.” The final track features Bob Florence on piano (though the recording date is not given for this selection) in a particularly haunting rendition of “Auld Lang Syne,” which sounds as if he knew this would be his last recording. Highly recommended! – Ken Dryden