I always have a high level of anticipation for a new Jon Herington release. His Jon Herington group has released excellent record after excellent record. 2016’s Adult Entertainment was no exception but the afterglow of that release wasn’t as satisfying in that Herington didn’t take his time band on tour beyond the confines of their New York safe haven. My exposure to jazz legend Jim Beard is much spottier. I’m love his 2013 release, Show of Hands as well as Revolutions (with Vince Mendoza), but only just picked up his album Lost At The Carnival. Beard’s career as a front man and side man is even longer than Herington’s. 

What glues the two together for me is their ongoing membership in the Steely Dan Band. These long term members have provided new insight and passion to the well-worn Becker/Fagen catalog.

Chunks and Chairknobs finds the duo envibing similar nuanced passion to a few standards, and we’ll chosen originals. 

Beard’s ”Chunks and Chairknobs” kicks things off in beautiful fashion. The song, taken from the aforementioned Lost At the Carnival album is a confident ride. Herewith just acoustic piano and electric guitar, the song’s essence shines through. It’s playful New Orleans vibe is evident as Beards’ piano and Herington’s guitar playfully dance. It’s a fun contrast to the original.

”Double Blind,” written by Herington, co-founded me at first. I could not recognize the melody. Herington’s intricate initial rhythm patterns and the stark piano patters hinted of melancholy. Yet there is an unmistakable beauty.  The mind-meld between the two musicians is unmistakable and Beard’s mid-song solo is perfection and grace, which seems to have inspired an equally rousing solo from Herington. 

”Baubles, Bangles, and Beads,” the well worn Brazillian tinged tune sounds lovely in the duo context. Herington, a master of lead guitar, provides a Brazilian flaired rhythm that supports Beard’s piano. Beard’s solo is a tad too short, though. Just as they do being to bring the fire, the song is over. 

”Hope is Woe,” another Jon Herington original shines in this setting. The guitarist spices things up with his staccato rhythm work and Beard’s piano provides splashes of color to the collage. The mid-song time signature change and rollercoaster ride of a piano solo conspire to make this one my favorite of all these gems, or at least my favorite, this week.

”Hand to Hand” a Jim Beard composition from his 1997 album Truly, brings the album back down to a simmer. The ballad, which seems simple at first, builds in complexity and vitality. The interaction between Beard and Herington only enhances the song’s emotional impact and beauty. The recapitulation of the central theme furthers to create a synaptic bond with the listener. This is pretty heady stuff. 

The album closer is a bit of a surprise as the duo tackles one of the most polished songs in the Steely Dan canon. ”Gaucho” in the duet setting is still a gem, however. Beard and Herington strip the song down to it’s melodic core revealing a song which is still great even in this minimalist setting. The arrangement is close to the original, yet with just Herington’s guitar and Beard’s piano, the spaces which need to be filled are.

Chunks and Chairknobs is a joy. Obvious, the original songs are powerful, and the covers stand the test of time. Jim Beard and Jon Herington can infuse freshness and vitality to each of the albums songs, making each essential listening and one of my favorite jazz releases for 2019.

Hopefully, between Steely Dan dates this year, we can get a few live shows in from Jim Beard and Jon Herington.