Last Call

Last Call

During the last decade of his life, Jeff Healey devoted much of his energy to playing vintage jazz, rather than the blues-rock that had won him fame in the ‘80s. Last Call adds a bittersweet coda to the legendary Canadian singer/guitarist’s work with the Jazz Wizards, capturing him in an intimate studio setting. Backed only by pianist/clarinetist Ross Wooldridge and violinist Drew Jurecka, Healey shows his connoisseur’s knowledge of old-time jazz by offering both standards (“Pennies from Heaven,” “Deep Purple”) and obscure gems (“Holding My Honey’s Hand”). The performances here have a mellow tone to them, though Healey shows his virtuosity even at his most relaxed moments. Tunes like “Hong Kong Blues,” “Time On My Hands” and “Laura” find him singing in a warm, near-crooning manner, while “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter” swings righteously. “The Wildcat” allows Healey and Jurecka to recapture the Parisian hot-jazz spirit of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. On “Some of These Days,” Jeff double-tracks his nimble acoustic guitar, then adds his own trumpet work.

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