Frank Vincent arrived in Cincinnati from his home in New York as an electric accordion player. Within a short period of time he was one of the most in-demand jazz pianists in the area. He and bassist Jack Prather played a regular duo gig at the Kasbah Lounge in the basement of the Terrace Hilton Hotel. Shortly thereafter they joined the late drummer Dee Felice to form the Dee Felice Trio. When Prather moved to the West Coast, bassist Lee Tucker replaced him. The trio was the house band at the Living Room on Walnut St. in Cincinnati, which brought in many name jazz performers. They backed singers such as Carmen McRae and Mark Murphy and soloists such as trumpeter Bobby Shew.
     At one point they were signed to back James Brown for a short tour and then they went out with Mark Murphy. While with Murphy, they went to Toronto and Vincent got a lesson with his hero, Oscar Peterson. Although Frank's style is distinctively his own, the Peterson influence comes through.      Some years ago, he recorded an album of duets with the late guitarist Cal Collins, which was very well received. Now he has recorded another duet album, this time with bassist Michael Sharfe. His playing has lost none of the verve and style his fans remember. Although he is semi-retired he plays most weekends at the Celestial on Mount Adams in Cincinnati with his long-time cohort, vocalist Larry Kinley. The two were fixtures at the Harley Hotel in Kenwood for many years.
     The current CD, Here and Now, was recorded over a period of 18 months. There were four parties, each about six months apart, to get the feel of a live performance. The.opening number is the popular standard "This Can't Be Love". It's a good opener for a record because it's bright and up-tempo and shows a lot of the Peterson influence. This is followed by the Tadd Dameron be-bop classic "Good Bait". After the opening statement, Sharfe plays a fine solo with Vincent comping well behind him and then going into his own solo, which goes right back into the head.
     Sergio Mihanovich's "Some Time Ago" shows Frank's ballad artistry. The best players in jazz --- Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Clifford Brown, Bill Evans and others --- measured themselves by how they played ballads. Another test of a pianist is how he comps under another's solo. Vincent passes this one with flying colors. His underscoring of Sharfe's solo is superb.
     Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa" is an old warhorse that gets a new treatment by Messrs. Vincent and Sharfe. The bass solo on this one is excellent. "Put On a Happy Face" is a show tune (from Bye, Bye Birdie) that is very adaptable to jazz. Sharfe's solo here inspires Vincent to say "Yeah!" and then they trade fours.
     Another ballad to get the Vincent touch is "Darn That Dream". He is definitely a two-handed player and this one shows off that technique well. On "I Love You" his fingers fairly fly over the keyboard. It once again shows the Peterson influence.
     "Our Love Is Here To Stay", by George Gershwin and his lovely wife Ira, is taken at a moderately slow tempo on the first chorus. Frank's solo on the second chorus is a little brighter and his third chorus is more inventive than the previous one. Sharfe's chorus is again well done. They improvise together after the return to the head.
     John Lewis' tribute to the great gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, simply titled "Django", opens with a proper respect, which is how Lewis always played it, but then goes into a very bluesy tempo (which is also how the composer treated it). Vincent bends the notes on the piano in spots and has the blues feeling all the way through. A masterpiece, well played.
     Ray Brown's "Blues For Sam Nassi" begins, naturally, with the bassist playing the lead and the pianist interjecting fills like a drummer. Vincent then takes over and Sharfe comps beautifully under him. The pianist then comps under Sharfe. Then it's back to Vincent soloing and Sharfe comping. The bassist then rides out the head with Vincent again throwing strikes behind him.
     The piece de resistance, in this reviewer's mind, is the closer, "When the World Was Young". It's plaintive and nostalgic and powerful and it closes with a poignant "Have I Stayed Too Long At the Fair?"
     The name in big letters on the front of the booklet is Frank Vincent, and rightly so. But do not overlook the smaller letters that spell out "with Michael Sharfe, bass". Although Vincent could very well carry an album without support, the bassist makes him better and also contributes largely to the sound of the CD. The two men have an affinity that comes with years of playing with other people and the respect they have for each other shows on every tune. This is a keeper.  -- Don Henke