This jazz CD is really very "uptown", featuring Jay's superb bass & vocal skills, along with some super smooth piano by Rosenthal & guitar from Joe.  The liners refer to Leonhart as the "Fred Astaire of jazz"… & that's about as accurate as it gets… I mean, you can see his fingers dancing/flitting over those bass strings... it's just like the title says - COOL!   Jay's vocals are about as "hep-cat" as you'll hear these days… it's th' title track where his vocal talents shine so brightly… a bouncy back-alley cut that sounds uniquely Leonhart, no doubt.  The players are fused together as though they are Siamese triplets… I mean, this group is tight!  In fact, the compositions are SO well integrated that you often don't realize it's a trio… sounds kind of like ONE player is doin' it all.   Cohn's guitar is some of the best jazz you'll hear this year, or next, or… well, you get the picture, eh?  The thing that's so "cool" about Mr. Leonhart's music, best reflected on his original, "For Real" (my favorite cut on the album) is that they recall an era where jazz was light-hearted, yet spirit filled… & help the listener to reclaim a little bit of that wonderful time.  This CD gets our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, with a strong urging that you rush right out & buy this one… it "hit the streets" on 16 November, 2004, so if you want your C-mas copy - better get it NOW!

— Dick Metcalf, aka Rotcod Zzaj
© Improvijazzation Nation, Issue #69