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I'll admit it, growing up in the '70s, Zero was my hero. Still is. Luckily I have a pianistic mother who showed me the roots of this 76 year-young jazz luminary. From "Better Than Anything" to his "Baby, It's Cold Outside" duet with Blossom Dearie, I've always enjoyed the homey-folksy vocal style he shares with contemporaries like Dave Frishberg and Mose Allison. He's certainly best known for composing and performing the music for the wildly popular ABC "Schoolhouse Rock" animated shorts. But besides "Conjunction Junction" and "Three Is A Magic Number," Dorough's also performed with artists as varied as Miles Davis, Mel Torme, Art Garfunkel, Sugar Ray Robinson, Lenny Bruce and Allen Ginsberg. However, until his 1997 Blue Note debut 'Right On My Way Home', the major labels weren't really giving him much notice. 'Too Much Coffee Man', named for a cult comic-book hero with a cup on his head, is Dorough pouring on the charm and humor like he has always done. From the bombastic percussion of "The Coffee Song (They've Got A Lot Of Coffee In Brazil)" to exquisite ballad "Love (Webster's Definition)," which features some lurid guitar comping from Joe Cohn, this is a treat. No ifs, ands, buts, or ors. He's still hip, and an American treasure way beyond the obvious. About time somebody (thank you, Blue Note) really stepped up and gave him the big-league support he deserves. And if you ever get the chance to see him perform live, for goodness sake - do.
Review by Don Zulaica
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Bob Dorough
