October 1998

Doug MacDonald
Organizing
Resurgent Music

By Geraldine Wyckoff

What makes this combo work-and swing- is that the players are absolutely on the same page. It's guitarist Doug MacDonald's date, but it's everybody's show with the musicians- tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson, organist Art Hillery and drummer Johnny Kirkwood providing the foundation on songs like "It's a Blue World" and "Key Largo," with each moving to the spotlight to solo. The guitar and sax bob and weave on Johnson's "Right On Time" before Hillery steps up to the plate. A classic toe-tapping organ trio with a saxophone plus.