"Vamp Dolce" is the only non-Costello/Bacharach composition on the album. It has some nice late-Miles-Davis-ish trumpet work from Ron Miles but otherwise was probably unnecessary.
I was uncertain how "My Thief," the most blatantly old-school tune on Painted From Memory, would translate to this format. Don Byron plays the melody on clarinet, and he plays it pretty straight, accompanied only by Frisell's guitar. This was a wise choice. The major/minor shifting melody is gorgeous, and Frisell's accompaniment provides just enough counterpoint. I would've liked to hear the chorus more than once, though.
Frisell reprises "Painted From Memory," this time in a more upbeat fashion with Drewes playing melody and Miles riffing some nice counterpoint. "The Long Division" is a trio track with Frisell accompanied by bassist Viktor Krauss and drummer Brian Blade. It was a boring track on Painted and not even Frisell's best Wes Montgomery impersonation can save it here.
"Tears At The Birthday Party" is perhaps the easiest song from Painted to imagine as a jazz tune, and Frisell's bluesy, swinging arrangement captures it well. The switch from swung to straight 8th notes at the chorus is a bit unexpected and jarring, but it works in the context of the song. "I Still Have That Other Girl" also appears again, this time in a more "out" version that plays off the song's clashing opening chords. Byron plays a nice clarinet solo here.
Both Painted From Memory and The Sweetest Punch close the same way: with "God Give Me Strength." The song was used to good effect in Allison Anders' movie/Brill Bulding homage Grace of My Heart. Here Frisell gives the song a Creed Taylorish twist, tossing a bouquet to Bacharach as well with his use of clipped flugelhorn notes from Ron Miles. It's nice, but this was the song where I most missed Costello's voice--his performance on Painted was nothing short of virtuoso.
All in all, The Sweetest Punch makes a nice companion piece to Painted From Memory, though you can certainly appreciate one without the other. I would've liked to hear some more soloing from the great ensemble Frisell put together--his are the only extended solos on the album, and there's only two of them. But it's a small quibble. Even though The Sweetest Punch is now five years old, it's still in print and it's still worth your consideration.
Article comments
1 - Tom Johnson
Frisell is one of the few artist who can take something like Bacharach and really make something new of it. His take of "What the World Needs Now" is breathtaking. It's available on a Bacharach tribute John Zorn's Tzadik label (no kidding) put out a number of years ago but you might be able to track down a fantastic live version from Poland in, I believe, 1993 (I have this show, just don't have it next to me to check on the date.)
2 - godoggo
The Blythe cover picture picture caught my eye. I lovelovelovelove Lennox Ave Breakdown, but I wish someone would come out with a CD version with all 4 tunes in their complete versions, instead of fading in the middle of those blazing improvs.
The First Frisell I ever heard, the album that made me a fan, was Billy Hart's Oshumare, and I've never heard him sound better.