John Ellis - It's You I Like (CD)

Melody and groove are the watchwords on John Ellis' masterful Criss Crossdebut, which mixes optimistic songs composed by the iconic children'stelevision host, Fred (a.k.a. "Mister") Rogers, himself a fine jazz pianist, and dark ones by the late singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. Joined by New York A-listers Mike Moreno (guitar), Aaron Goldberg (piano), Matt Penman (bass), and Rodney Green (drums), Ellis - playing mostly tenor saxophone and a bit of bass clarinet - addresses the repertoire with a surefooted time feel, gorgeous tone, and abiding melody.

Track List:

Disc: 1

1. What Do You Do? (Fred Rogers)
2. Memory Lane (Elliott Smith)
3. It's You I Like (Fred Rogers)
4. Everything Means Nothing to Me (Elliott Smith)
5. Let's Think of Something to Do (Fred Rogers)
6. Because We're Kids (Frederick Hollander)
7. You Are Special (Fred Rogers)
8. Waltz #1 (Elliott Smith)
9. It's Such a Good Feeling (Fred Rogers)
10. Won't You Be My Neighbor (Fred Rogers)