Eddie Higgins & Scott Hamilton, Ken Peplowski - It’s Magic / 2LP Venus Records

With numerous albums released on Venus Records, Eddie Higgins has established himself as one of Japan's most renowned jazz pianists. For this album, Higgins teamed up with two experienced horn players who share his mature,

straightforward sensibility: Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone) and Ken Peplowski (tenor saxophone, clarinet). The rhythm section consists of Jay Leonhart (bass) and Ben Riley (drums). For this special session on October 18, 2006

(The Studio, New York, USA), the songs were selected based on the wishes of the readers of “Swing Journal”: Producer Todd Barkan and the musicians selected the pieces that received the most votes from Japanese jazz fans and

then recorded them.AllMusic writes about “It's Magic”: The focus is on slow, lush interpretations of ballads, with Hamilton taking a more straightforward approach compared to Peplowski's more personal, dialogue-oriented style. Exceptions

are the lively, swinging version of “I Never Knew”, an airy arrangement in which Peplowski shines with his powerful solo and the driving explorations of “Autumn Leaves”. Peplowski switches to clarinet for part of the session, notably for the

beautiful version of “Mood Indigo”. Throughout the album, Higgins' rousing piano playing sounds effortless, as if the songs have been part of his repertoire for a long time.Venus Records was founded in Japan in 1992 by Tetsuo Hara, who

previously worked as a producer for RCA Victor. The label uses a special mastering process called “Hyper Magnum Sound” for the strictly limited double LP of “It's Magic”, cut at 33 RPM and pressed on 180-gram vinyl, which produces a powerful,

present sound and is highly appreciated by audiophiles worldwide. A quick note: Venus LPs are only pressed once. Once the edition is sold out, the title is removed from the catalog and will not be reissued. Collectors should therefore not wait too

long to place their orders: all releases of the “Venus Masterpiece Collection” are extremely popular!

Venus LPs are pressed only once. After the first edition is sold out, the titles are removed from the catalog. Collectors should therefore consider a purchase in time.

Title

1. It's Magic

2. Autumn Leaves II 

3. Ghost Of A Chance 

4. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) 

5. I Never Knew

6. Suddenly 

7. Mood Indigo

8. I'll Never Be The Same 

9. Autumn Leaves

10. Round Midnight 

11. The Touch Of Your Lips

12. I'll Close My Eyes

13. A Nightingale Sang In Berkley Square