The Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe is located in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Basically a highly rated restaurant with a Jazz policy, it was established in 2008 and presents a pleasant setting, either at the bar or the tables, for Jazz listening. And from my observations the Cafe also treats the musicians with respect, offering food, a reasonable playing area, and a pleasant and comfortable room for between-sets relaxation. Something musicians have learned to never take for granted and which should be the norm not the exception. Having issued recordings by Ernie Krivda (b.1945, Cleveland, OH) in a number of settings, I felt this was a good chance to record Ernie in a new setting in some different but familiar company. Claude Black (b.1932, Detroit, MI) is a veteran of the Midwest Jazz scene, one of those locals with whom all the circuit players choose to play. Claude was a contemporary of most of the Boppers who emerged from the Detroit area in the ‘50s and who eventually migrated to New York and became Bop headliners. Claude, originally a capable trombonist, chose to stay in the Detroit area for reasons of family. His earliest work included a brief stint with Billie Holiday and, in 1948 made his first recording with fellow Detroiter, Don Byrd. Later he toured for two years with Aretha Franklin before settling in as house pianist at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in the ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s. Since the mid ‘80s he has been playing at Murphy’s Place (Toledo, OH). Little of Claude’s work has been issued on recordings and so his discography is slight (even slighter as he is misidentified as Claude Blake on Oliver Jackson’s Paris recording [February 28, 1984] for the Black & Blue label —discographers note). Claude and Renell Gonsalves (b.1948, Detroit, MI) often play with Ernie at Murphy’s. Renell also is little documented on record (Keith Vreeland trio, Sheila Landis-Rich Matle group) and, as the son of Paul, he is of a Jazz royal lineage. Dan Kolton (b.1958, Detroit, MI) also has an Ellington connection as he played bass in that band (under Mercer) for about a year and a half. Aside from that, he has based himself in various locales and has also been represented on few releases (sometimes misidentified as Don). The music on this CD comes near the end of the quartet’s residency at The Dirty Dog. The material is presented in the order it was played and comes from the first and third sets. I’ll Remember April was the last performance from the first set and the remainder of the recording documents the entire third set. The music speaks for itself: what you hear is what was played. What cannot be seen by the listener is Claude’s energized and enthusiastic clapping of time on A Blues By Any Other Name, spontaneously inspired during the part when Ernie and Renell are going head to head as Claude and Dan sat out. Good times. -Robert D. Rusch - March 27, 2009

His limited discography as a leader may well be explained by the deliberateness exhibited in both his playing and composition. Such careful consideration obviously carries over into his recording choices and are well worth the wait. Emotive. Thinking. This is music worthy of your attention.