PAPATAMUS
issue #104
by Robert Rusch
Slide Attack, Road Trip
For decades listeners have been drawn to the trombone sections in big bands, then in the 1950s two trombone veterans, J.J.Johnson and Kai Winding, got together as the duo JJ&K. While the duo flourished, by the ’60s they ceased being a formal group and had only occasional reunions, the final being in 1982. Since then, other trombone duos have popped up, the latest being a quintet lead by HOWARD LEVY and ALAN GOIDEL called SLIDE ATTACK. Their first release, ROAD TRIP [SACD 321] features nine tracks written by members of the group that include Michael Goetz [b], Hiroshi Yamazaki [p] and Chuck Zeuren [drm]. The mellowness of the trombones makes for a nice, familiar, and welcome recording.