Sprawling, 14-minute version of the Cole Porter jazz standard, recorded by everyone from Miles Davis to Billie Holiday. Recorded March 16, 1976, in a concert setting at the Jazz Loft, San Francisco. Featuring Sonny Lewis on tenor sax, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Brian Cooke on Fender Rhodes piano, Chuck Metcalf, bass, and Bob Bray on drums. Sonny

Sprawling, 14-minute version of the Cole Porter jazz standard, recorded by everyone from Miles Davis to Billie Holiday. Recorded March 16, 1976, in a concert setting at the Jazz Loft, San Francisco. Featuring Sonny Lewis on tenor sax, Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Brian Cooke on Fender Rhodes piano, Chuck Metcalf, bass, and Bob Bray on drums. Sonny Lewis remembers the concert hall session from Mar. 26, 1977: “On Sunday afternoons at the Jazz Loft, there was a lot of nice music, and I sometimes performed there. I had played with trumpeter Eddie Henderson in different bands through the years and was always happy to have him in my group. I met pianist Brian Cooke back in the summer of 1961 when we played together in Europe. He became a city planner in the East Bay and wasn’t doing too much music at the time but was always a good player and a fine writer. Bassist Chuck Metcalf, who was originally from Canada, was also an excellent player as was drummer Bob Bray whose gig this actually was.” Cole Porter’s “All Of You” is taken for an extended ride by the quintet. First Sonny plays the melody out of tempo while just accompanied by Cooke’s electric piano. The melody is repeated with plenty of feeling with the full rhythm section, Henderson takes a muted trumpet solo a little reminiscent of Miles Davis, and then Sonny makes a major statement, keeping the melody in mind even when his improvisation is at its stormiest. Brian Cooke takes a fine solo on his Fender Rhodes that keeps the music swinging before Henderson has the closing melody. “All Of You” adds to the growing musical legacy of Sonny Lewis, a top tenor-saxophonist whose music deserves to be enjoyed. -- Scott Yanow, Jazz historian and author.