Album Notes

The title reflects CSJQ’s versatility and range of influences. The selections on this, the band’s second disc, showcases their contemporary polish while also paying tribute to their deep roots in bebop and blues.

The “city” side opens with Peggy Lee’s “I Love Being Here with You,” which features Mark Osteen’s insouciant vocal. The next five tracks offer a variety of urban sounds, from Latin jazz (in a smooth samba called “Highpockets,” and a smoking rendition of Jobim’s “Favela” ) to bop (“Hackensack,” “Tippin’”) to the risque city blues of “Doodlin,’” which again spotlights Osteen’s sassy singing.

The “country” side presents a set of sharp original compositions—the Latin “Perception,” the haunting ballad “Fallow,” the insinuating shuffle “Sneakin,’” the multi-rhythmic “Black Olive,” and a driving, hard bop number entitled “The Big ‘C’”—punctuated by two standards: a snappy take on “Is You Is” and a lyrical duo version of “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”

Urban Pastoral. It’s current. It’s classic. Above all, it’s cool.