One of
Sir Roland Hanna
's last recordings prior to his death at the end of 2002 was this session for the Japanese
Venus
label. With seven of the 12 songs incorporating the word "dream" in their titles, it seemed to be a fitting title for the CD.
Hanna
is joined by bassist
Paul West
and drummer
Eddie Locke
, kicking off with a rollicking take of
"When I Grow Too Old to Dream."
The pianist and the bassist trade lines throughout the lush introduction to the infrequently heard
"Street of Dreams."
The joyful interpretation of
"This Time the Dream's on Me"
(a favorite of
Marian McPartland
) and swinging treatment of
"Dream"
are also highlights. The "non-dream" tracks include a
lullaby
-like arrangement of
"A Sleepin' Bee"
and a toe-tapping
"I Hear a Rhapsody."
Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden