This quintet provides a "smokin' hot" tribute to the greats of the hard bop era with a collection of fiery jazz tunes associated with Cannonball Adderly, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton and others.

Jazz pianist, John Krantz took a total departure from his normal style for his third CD recording in order pursue another side of his style and passion

This quintet provides a "smokin' hot" tribute to the greats of the hard bop era with a collection of fiery jazz tunes associated with Cannonball Adderly, Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton and others.

Jazz pianist, John Krantz took a total departure from his normal style for his third CD recording in order pursue another side of his style and passion for the jazz genre known as hard bop - a style that come into prominence on the late 50's. For this outing, he needed to assemble the instrumentalists that would allow him to play songs that were associated with some of the great of jazz such as Cannonball Adderly, Lee Morgan, Freddie Hubbard and others. The eight songs on this recording were truly a group effort as everyone involved got a chance to shine. There is the fiery saxophone of Bryan Schumacker, the intense trumpet of Jim Oatts and the hard swinging of bassist, Steve Charlson and drummer, Jim Eklof. The recording opens with the pseudo latin feel of the Horace Silver composition, "Nutville" It is followed by the boppish line of a Lee Morgan tune, "Hocus-Pocus". Song after song is truly inspired from the masters of an era - including the Cedar Walton modern jazz classic, "Bolivia" and the little known Kenny Drew composition "Cool Green". There is the up-tempo swing of "Unit 7" and the Hank Mobley composition, "This I Dig of You". Two older standards round out the set: "You're My Everything" was inspired by a Freddie Hubbard recording and the album closes with a haunting duet performance by Krantz and Schumacher of "It Never Entered My Mind". This recording promises to entertain you again and again with the spirit of an era of jazz that never grows old. "Cookin' With Krantz" truly cooks!