Label: Big Bridge Music
Personnel: Jeff Hackworth, tenor sax/Norman Simmons, piano/Peter Washington, bass/Chip White, drums/Peter Hand, guitar
Genre: straight-ahead jazz
Recommended for: jazz fans and non-jazz fans alike

Tenor sax player Jeff Hackworth honed his craft playing clubs in his native Buffalo and on the road with such bandleaders as Matt “Guitar” Murphy. He’s previously recorded an organ trio album but it’s clear his latest release, “How Little We Know,” is meant to be his break-out effort.

Produced by tenorman Houston Person and engineered by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder, “How Little We Know” is a collection of such chestnuts as “I’m Just A Lucky So and So” and “All or Nothing At All.”

Hackworth has a big, warm sound that’s been compared to Gene Ammons and Stanley Turrentine, and while there’s little in the way of explosive soloing here, Hackworth knows how to caress a melody and let a great song speak for itself. He’s also an unselfish player who’s content to leave plenty of solo space for his able bandmates – pianist Norman Simmons, bassist Peter Washington, drummer Chip White and the aptly-named guitarist Peter Hand.

The result is a thoroughly enjoyable straight-ahead album that, even in its black-and-white cover photography is reminiscent of jazz around, say, 1958. But who cares? All I can tell you is, “How Little We Know” has been on my CD player a lot more lately than some of the hipper releases that have come through the transom.    

-Tony Rogers