The Cookers: Time and Time Again

Cookers, as in "to cook" – one senses that this supergroup is an act of defiance by a septet of veteran musicians, reacting to contemporary tendencies in jazz towards cross-genre experimentation and away from the hard-swinging, free-blowing approach that was once the heart of the American mainstream. These guys just want to burn, and on their fourth album together, that's exactly what they do. Not that The Cookers are in any sense a revivalist or heritage act. With a front line that includes trumpeter Eddie Henderson and saxophonist Donald Harrison, driven by a dream team rhythm section of pianist George Cables, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Billy Hart, this is a group brimming with creativity and passion, and the results will restore the faith of listeners who miss the clear-cut certainties of hard-bop. motema.com