Flip Phillips

At 85, one might think Flip Phillips would slow down. Judging from the driving music he creates in spirited versions of "Exactly Like You," "Flip The Whip" and "Grand Rosé," this veteran of "Jazz At The Philharmonic" still loves the chase just as he did in memorable jam sessions with Charlie Parker over 50 years ago. The lively exchanges between him and younger tenor stars like James Carter and Joe Lovano in "The Mark Of Zorro" shows this sprightly veteran has not lost his zest. In the fluent company of Howard Alden (guitar), Benny Green (piano), Christian McBride (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums), Flip generates contemporary mainstream swing at its most relaxed and polished. His duo and trio versions of "In A Mellow Tone," "Music, Maestro Please" and "This Is All I Ask" showcase the refinement that comes from many years of playing, making one hope that such intimacy will provide the focus for Flip's next Verve project, with someone like Hank Jones or Kenny Barron for example.