The Cookers: Look Out!

The cooperative group the Cookers was formed in 2007 and quickly established itself as a hard-hitting unit that delivers hard bop/modal jazz as well as anyone on the contemporary scene. They could hardly do otherwise; tenor man Billy Harper, trumpeter Eddie Henderson, and rhythm section members George Cables, Cecil McBee, and Billy Hart all established themselves during the mid-60s as this style evolved, while the two younger members, David Weiss (trumpet) and Donald Harrison (alto) have been around since the 80s. The two-trumpet front line gives the group a unique sound, but a comparison to the classic Art Blakey sextets that featured trumpet, trombone, and tenor would not be amiss. Look Out!, the band’s first album in five years, shows that the soloists are still hitting on all cylinders and the rhythm section is pushing as hard as ever. The original arranging and writing is also superb, and Cables’ contributions, especially “The Mystery of Monifa Brown,” merit special mention. The Cookers deserve the label “supergroup” not just because the roster is stacked with all-stars but because they play together so well. Look Out! was recorded at the legendary Rudy Van Gelder Studio and Gearbox’s pressings are, as always, superb.