2013 Posi-Tone

Lower East Side is pianist Ehud Asherie’s sequel to last year’s Upper West Side. Once again Asherie entertains in the company of tenor saxophonist Harry Allen through a set of choice standards. The like-minded duo produce sophisticated swing with predictable results, engaging an elegance in style with cocktail-set coziness. It would be misleading, however, to imply that the music is mere sentimental light fare. Asherie and Allen are both well studied and nuance sensitive, bringing the past to life in a manner that is startlingly convincing. All that being said, it’s also a lot of fun. Toe-tapping is inevitable on bouncy tunes such as “Thou Swell,” “S’posin'” and “‘Deed I Do.” Jobim’s “Portrait in Black and White” recalls Stan Getz and the bossa nova heyday and “Some Other Time” is an endearing ballad.