Arthur Rhames & Charles Telerant - Two in NYC

John Sharpe, AllAboutJazz

Arthur Rhames actually gigged in duet with Rashied Ali, the other half of the Interstellar Space twosome, but Two in NYC finds him in the company of drummer Charles Telerant back in the early ‘80s. Rhames’ touchstone here seems to be the Coltrane of the late ‘50s-early ‘60s, with covers of “Mr. P.C.”, “Impressions” and “I Want to Talk About You” alongside several originals. Opening the album are two field recordings of the duo from the streets of NYC, complete with trucks and passing conversations.
At the core is a club recording featuring Rhames on not only tenor saxophone, but also piano, electric guitar and vocals. While he boasts chops to spare, there are only hints of what he could do and, by hewing so closely to ‘Trane’s oeuvre, he struggles to escape the great man’s penumbra. In anyone else’s discography this set would barely merit a footnote, but such is the sparseness of Rhames’ legacy (he died in 1989 aged 32) that it forms valuable documentation. But, wow, would it have brightened up your day if you had chanced upon these guys on the street!