The Guide to Classic Recorded Jazz (81 page)

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Authors: Tom Piazza

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BOOK: The Guide to Classic Recorded Jazz
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playing), Kelly recorded one track on
Kind of Blue
(Columbia CK 40579), "Freddie Freeloader," and the wonderful
Someday My Prince Will Come
(Columbia CK 40947); his playing is like fresh spring air throughout the latter set. John Coltrane was playing tenor in Davis's band at the time, and he used Kelly on his own 1959 session that was released as
Coltrane Jazz
(Atlantic 1354-2), a very strong set in which it is easy to see how much Coltrane's subsequent pianist, McCoy Tyner, learned from Kelly. Kelly takes an especially swinging solo on "My Shining Hour." The Miles Davis rhythm section of Kelly, Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb does an excellent job of showing alto saxophonist Art Pepper in the best light on the 1960
Gettin' Together
(Contemporary/OJC-169), worth buying for Kelly alone.
Kelly is the pianist on Sonny Rollins's
Volume 1
(Blue Note 81542) and
Newk's Time
(Blue Note 84001); the latter is a quartet set that has Kelly at his best, and at some length. Another tenorist who loved Kelly's playing was Hank Mobley; they are together for Mobley's classic albums
Soul Station
(Blue Note 46528),
Workout
(Blue Note 84080), the highly recommended quartet cooker
Another Workout
(Blue Note 84431), and the incendiary
Roll Call
(Blue Note 46823), on which Mobley is joined by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. See the Mobley section for further details. Some of Kelly's best playing may be found (if you can find the record, that is; it isn't yet on CD) on an outstanding album by trumpeter Blue Mitchell,
Blue's Moods
(Riverside/OJC-138). Kelly's solos on the medium-up swingers "I'll Close My Eyes" and "I Wish I Knew" are definitive and would be worth buying the record for themselves. He is also a major factor in the savage swing level on a 1954 date under trombonist J. J. Johnson's leadership, available on
The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Volume 2
(Blue Note 81506); the six cuts with Kelly, including "Old Devil Moon," "Too Marvelous for Words," and the up-tempo blues ''Jay," are outstanding. Kelly shares the rhythm duties with bassist Charles Mingus and drummer Kenny Clarke; conga drummer Sabu gives the rhythm an extra kick that really makes these go. On "Jay," by the way, notice how in the final riff choruses Johnson thought to build excitement by raising the key a half step each chorus; the effect is thrilling.
Finally, no picture of Wynton Kelly would be complete without
Smokin' at the Half Note
(Verve 829 578-2), recorded with guitar giant Wes Montgomery at the New York City club in 1965. Accompanied by Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb, Kelly and Montgomery turn up the heat in a mixed program of ballads and cookers; Kelly's solo on the medium-up "No Blues" is an especially good example of his ability to sustain a soulful, swinging groove. They are together, too, for an exciting 1961 date pairing Montgomery with vibes giant Milt Jackson;
Bags Meets Wes
(Riverside/OJC-234) is a great showcase for
 
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the guitarist's unique sound, achieved by often playing his melodic lines in octaves rather than single notes. The excellent rhythm section is Kelly, Sam Jones, and Philly Joe Jones. Also fine is the 1962 Montgomery album
Full House
(Riverside/OJC-106), recorded live, with Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb, and tenorist Johnny Griffin as special guest.
If anyone could rival Wynton Kelly in the sideman derby, it would be the Detroit master Tommy Flanagan. Flanagan is, to this day, one of the most respected musicians in jazz; pianists always speak of him with reverence. His chordal sense is just about unrivaled, and his touch is capable of almost infinite gradation; at his best he is fantastically inventive, and he is comfortable playing with anyone.
Flanagan has been the pianist on a dauntingly high number of classic jazz albums; he has a way of bringing out the best in other musicians, and a number of giants have made either their greatest, or one of their greatest, statements with Flanagan at the keyboard. He was the pianist on Sonny Rollins's
Saxophone Colossus
(Prestige/OJC-291), John Coltrane's
Giant Steps
(Atlantic 1311-2), Gene Ammons's
Boss Tenor
(Prestige/OJC-297),
At Ease with Coleman Hawkins
(Prestige/OJC-181), the three 1956 Miles Davis quintet sides with Sonny Rollins included on
Collectors' Items
(Prestige/OJC-071), Dexter Gordon's
The Panther
(Prestige/OJC-770), Kenny Dorham's
Trompeta Toccata
(Blue Note 84181), and Wes Montgomery's
Incredible Jazz Guitar
(Riverside/OJC-036), to name just a handful. Flanagan always brings a sympathetic set of ears to a session, and his accompaniments are perfectly adapted to whomever he is playing with. His solos are often as memorable as those of the headliners on these records; for just three examples, listen to his unique, moody solo on "D Natural Blues" on the Montgomery album, his exquisite statement on "In Your Own Sweet Way" on
Collectors' Items
, and his solo on the up-tempo blues "No Line,'' also on the Davis set. These are the work of a truly creative artist.
Flanagan had recorded only sparingly as a leader before the end of the 1970s, when he began to record, and perform, prolifically at the helm of a trio. I have yet to hear anything by him that isn't first-rate. Special mention might be made of his all-Ellington (and Strayhorn)
The Tommy Flanagan Tokyo Recital
(Pablo 2310-724), the 1978
Something Borrowed, Something Blue
(Galaxy/OJC-473), and a live 1986 recording,
Nights at the Vanguard
(Uptown UP27.29). Another Flanagan talent is revealed by his choice of material; the Vanguard set, for example, includes lesser-known tunes by Thelonious Monk, Benny Golson, Lucky Thompson, Phil Woods, and Thad Jones, as well as the standard bebop test piece "All God's Children Got Rhythm." Also very rewarding
 
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are two volumes of unaccompanied duets with pianist Hank Jones,
Our Delights
(Galaxy/OJC-752) and
More Delights
(Galaxy GXY-5152, cassette only).
Hank Jones is on the highest level as a pianist. A Detroiter, like Flanagan, who came to New York in the mid-1940s, he is the brother of drummer Elvin Jones and trumpeter Thad Jones. He can play authoritatively in any idiom of the music; he has been the pianist in the popular musical
Ain't Misbehavin'
, with its Fats Waller-based repertoire, has recorded albums of ragtime and spirituals, has worked with possibly every great jazz horn player, including Lester Young, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, and Charlie Parker, and has recorded with musicians of every stylistic persuasion. His harmonic sophistication, melodic inventiveness in solos, and sensitivity in accompaniment are the equal of Flanagan's; the range of styles at which he is convincing is, if anything, even greater.
Jones, too, has been a sideman on an extraordinary number of first-rate recordings. His crisp, inventive soloing and accompaniment can be heard on
Ben Webster and "Sweets" Edison: Ben and Sweets
(Columbia CK 40853), Wes Montgomery's
So Much Guitar!
(Riverside/OJC-233), Cannonball Adderley's
Somethin' Else
(Blue Note 46338) with Miles Davis,
Bags & Trane
(Atlantic 1368-2), Lucky Thompson's phenomenal
Lucky Strikes
(Prestige/OJC-194), and an album by bassist Paul Chambers,
Bass on Top
(Blue Note 46533), on which the bass is the lead instrument, accompanied by Jones, guitarist Kenny Burrell, and drummer Art Taylor. Jones and Burrell get a fair amount of solo room as well. Jones is a hero of all these sessions. For three examples, listen to his ballad work on "In a Sentimental Mood" from
Lucky Strikes
, his delicate yet absolutely smoking solo on ''Better Go" from the Webster-Edison set, and his quiet magic on "Autumn Leaves" from
Somethin' Else
. Pure beauty, pure soul.
Jones, like Flanagan, has had a renaissance of activity as a leader since the late 1970s. Of special interest is a set of unaccompanied solos, recorded in 1977 and 1978, entitled
Tiptoe Tapdance
(Galaxy/OJC-719). The album mixes fine standards like "I'll Be Around" and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" with moving versions of three spirituals, "It's Me Oh Lord," "Love Divine, All Loves Surpassing," and "Lord, I Want To Be a Christian." And make sure to hear his two volumes of unaccompanied duets with Tommy Flanagan, mentioned earlier.
Another Detroit pianist who has contributed to many an excellent session is Barry Harris. Of all the pianists discussed here, Harris is the most steeped in the vocabulary of Bud Powell and Charlie Parker, a bebop player first, last, and always. While he is perhaps not as adaptable to as wide a range of styles as ei-
 
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ther Jones or Flanagan, Harris has no equal when it comes to a bop sound. Two prime examples of this are the classic 1972 Sonny Stitt quartet album
Constellation
(Muse MCD 5323) and trumpeter Red Rodney's 1973 quintet date
Bird Lives!
(Muse MCD 5371). Both have Sam Jones on bass and the underrated Roy Brooks on drums; the Rodney album also features alto saxophonist Charles McPherson. Throughout, Harris's choices in accompaniment, his timing, and his sense of where to place chords under soloists are straight from Powell. In his solos, his way of fitting scales to chords is straight Parker and Powell, but Harris's touch is all his own. A real high point is his solo on "I'll Remember April" on the Rodney set, an extended outing at a cruising, medium-up tempo on which his ideas and inspiration run hot. The Stitt set, recorded a year earlier, finds Harris playing with a slightly more percussive touch; the change was likely due to his decision, around that time, to begin studies with a classical teacher. The somewhat earlier
Bebop Revisited!
(Prestige/OJC-710), a fiery 1964 album by Charles McPherson, has Harris on piano for a program consisting of classic bop repertoire like Bud Powell's "Wail," Tadd Dameron's "Hot House," Fats Navarro's "Nostalgia," and several others. Harris plays 100 percent pure bebop throughout an excellent small-group jazz set.
Two trio albums for Riverside show an even younger Harris bopping resolutely through sets that mix good pop tunes, bop standards, and a few originals.
Preminado
(Riverside/OJC-486) is probably the better of the two, if you can overlook the slightly out-of-tune piano; Joe Benjamin and Elvin Jones give Harris strong support on a varied program including a fast "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and a groovy, medium-tempo "My Heart Stood Still."
At the Jazz Workshop
(Riverside/OJC-208) has Harris's rhythm sectionmates from the Cannonball Adderley group of the time, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes, joining the pianist on bop standards like "Woody'n You," "Moose the Mooche," and "Star Eyes.''
Harris also lends strong support on albums as different as Lee Morgan's 1963
The Sidewinder
(Blue Note 84157),
Bottoms Up: Illinois Jacquet on Prestige
(Prestige/OJC-417), and Dexter Gordon's
The Tower of Power
(Prestige/OJC-299). In the mid-1970s Harris was the house pianist at the small Xanadu label, run by veteran producer Don Schlitten, who also produced the Jacquet, Gordon, Stitt, and Rodney recordings just mentioned. Schlitten's devotion to bebop equals Harris's; for Xanadu, Harris made a number of albums as a leader, the best of which are
Live in Tokyo
(Xanadu 130) and
Barry Harris Plays Barry Harris
(Xanadu 154), a trio date (with George Duvivier on bass) comprised entirely of Harris's own beautiful compositions. Harris is the perfect accompanist for his one-time student Charles McPherson on
Charles McPherson Live in Tokyo
(Xanadu 131) and for tenorist Al Cohn on
Al Cohn's America
 
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(Xanadu 138). These Xanadu items may be hard to track down, but they are all worth it.
Certainly one of the best pianists of the 1950s, and a gifted composer as well, was Sonny Clark. Clark's playing was rooted in Powell's vocabulary; he was an inventive spinner of right-hand melodies, especially effective at medium tempos. Two trio sets, both called
Sonny Clark Trio
, are highly recommended for all pianists and piano fans. The one on Blue Note (Blue Note 46547) has Paul Chambers on bass and Philly Joe Jones on drums and consists of pop and jazz standards like "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "I'll Remember April," and "Two Bass Hit.'' It is an archetypal bebop piano trio outing. The other
Sonny Clark Trio
(Time/Bainbridge BCD 1044) has Clark with the equally formidable support of George Duvivier and Max Roach in a program consisting entirely of Clark originals. If I had to choose one, it would be the second one; the Time set has a presence and inventiveness that put it just ahead of the other for me. Clark's tunes always sound fresh, and they inspire him and his sidemen to equally fresh blowing. Listen to the way Clark cooks his way through chorus after chorus of "Blues Mambo" or to his slower "Blues Blue." And his unaccompanied "My Conception" is something else. Fantastic stuff.
Clark assembled several small-group recording dates for Blue Note featuring all-star casts playing a mixture of Clark's own tunes and standards. The best known of these is
Cool Struttin'
(Blue Note 46513), a 1958 date with trumpeter Art Farmer, altoist Jackie McLean, and Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones in the rhythm section. The CD issue of this adds two tracks to the familiar "Cool Struttin'," "Blue Minor," "Sippin' at Bells," and "Deep Night" (a trio performance) from the original LP. This set has the feeling of a blowing session, but everyone makes very pointed, cohesive statements; it is a quintessential hard-bop date, cooking all the way.
Somewhat less well known (perhaps because it lacks the all-star element of
Cool Struttin'
) is the great
Leapin' and Lopin'
(Blue Note 84091), a 1961 date with trumpeter Tommy Turrentine and tenorist Charlie Rouse, with Butch Warren and Billy Higgins providing their customary fine accompaniment. Clark's tunes here are all excellent, from the opening minor blues "Somethin' Special," through the happy, cool-sounding, modal "Melody for C" and the mysterioso but humorous "Voodoo" (which tips its hat to Thelonious Monk), to the previously unreleased swinger "Zellmar's Delight," which echoes Tadd Dameron beautifully. Clark's accompaniment here is always extremely alert and smart; you can hear him thinking compositionally, setting up patterns under the soloists (as always, Rouse presents his credentials as a major tenor voice) and working off of Higgins's accents. His solos are all gems, as well.

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