Disc two changes things up with a significantly different sound and mostly different musicians. Subtitled ...and back to jazz, another half dozen tunes explore the jazz side of Ellis' style. Rejoining Ellis from the funk disc is drummer Guido May. The rest of the quartet consists of Gareth Williams on piano and Laurence Cottle on bass. A rich reading of an old standard, "You've Changed," kicks things off. Ellis produces a big, fat sound on his tenor, milking the classic melody for all it's worth. The only tune carried over from disc one is Adderley's "Sticks," which surprisingly kicks harder here than on the funk disc.
Make no mistake, the music on this disc is distinctly funky, only with jazzier leanings. Ellis contributes two originals; the first, "Parlayin'," swings gently, while the second, "Now Go On," finds Ellis mining a gloriously funky groove.
Tenoration provides ample proof that at age 70, Pee Wee Ellis is still blowing one of the funkiest horns anywhere. With strong backing by two different groups, these 12 tracks allow Ellis to stretch out and demonstrate why he has been in demand for decades by some of the biggest names in the business.
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