Tom Malone - Standards of Living (CD)

All Music Guide

On this CD trombonist Tom Malone leads an allstar group through eight familiar standards. Although it is pretty interesting hearing such players as tenorsaxophonist Bill Evans, pianist Gil Goldstein and the former Pat Metheny rhythm section (bassist Mark Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb) performing a program of warhorses, few real fireworks occur. Even trumpeter Jon Faddis is mostly pretty restrained, avoiding hitting high notes. Tom Malone takes some solid trombone solos and is responsible for the arrangements on the solid set of straightahead modern jazz, but nothing all that memorable occurs, making this date a slight disappointment.

- Scott Yanow, All Music Guide