The album, inspired by DeFranco's legendary 1950s collaborations with Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson, features a mix of "halsbrecherisch" (neck-breaking) tempos and tender ballads:
: This allowed DeFranco, one of the few clarinetists to fully adapt to bebop , to soar with a freedom usually reserved for fronting a quartet. Performance Highlights davemckenna_buddydefranco.youmustbelieveinswing...
This collaboration was so successful it led to a follow-up album two years later, Do Nothing Till You Hear from Us! , featuring guitarist Joe Cohn. : He played continuous 4/4 walking bass lines
: He played continuous 4/4 walking bass lines that functioned as a one-man rhythm section. featuring guitarist Joe Cohn.
: DeFranco sheds his "technical" reputation on tracks like "Autumn Nocturne" and "Poor Butterfly," proving his depth as a ballad player.
: He delivered horn-like single-note solos and rich harmonic voicings.