Plays Jewish Melodies in Jazztime

Terry Gibbs integrates two separate bands on this album, which not only interprets traditional Jewish melodies but also works of fairly recent vintage (at the time these 1963 recordings were made) that incorporate Jewish rhythms. The results have stood the test of time very well, with swinging versions of "And the Angels Sing" and "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon," along with centuries-old melodies like "Kazochock (Russian Dance)," which has an introduction that makes one visualize a circus, and "Vuloch (A Folk Dance)," reworked by Gibbs into a snappy waltz. Most of the artists accompanying Gibbs have faded into obscurity, but there's one surprise: One of the pianists is Alice McLeod, who later became better known as Alice Coltrane; this is actually her debut recording. Like other reissues in Verve's limited-edition series released during 2002, this CD should be snapped up without delay.