The Bebop Shop : A Swingin' Affair: Blue Notes & Hard Bop Classics : The Big Sound: Boss Tenors
Son of legendary Boogie Woogie/Stride pianist Albert Ammons we feature son Gene on "Groove Blues", "Boss Tenor", "Blue Gene" and three tracks from "The Happy Blues" (currently only available as an expensive import).
"Groove Blues", driven by Billie Holidays pianist Mal Waldron who wrote three of the four featured tracks also features one of the rare occasions when legendary Tenor sax giant John Coltrane is featured on alto sax. As described in Joe Goldbergs liner notes " These solos are, I think, some of his very best on any horn!" Gene Ammons breaks out of his unfair label as a rhythm and blues player rather than a jazz player with a classic line up of solid jazz musicians including Coltrane, Waldron, Art Taylor, Pepper Adams and Paul Quinchette. 1960s "Boss Tenor" finds Ammons with perhaps one of his finest rhythm sections including Tommy Flanagan, Doug Watkins, Art Taylor and Ray Barreto who between them had played with the likes of JJ Johnson, Miles Davis, Art Blakey and Thelonius Monk. "Blue Gene" from 1958 again finds pianist Mal Waldron writing all four of the featured tracks accompanied by Idrees Suliman on trumpet and again the rhythm section from "Boss Tenor". Finally "Happy Blues" features a superb line up including Art Farmer, Jackie Mclean, Duke Jordan, Addison Farmer and Art Taylor. "Its a happy session, a blowing session, featuring a blues, a standard and an old but not so standard!"
All three albums plus have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality! (AVID Entertainment) Price: £8.99
Quiex 200g audiophile pressing. Price: £25.99
Previously unissued performances, at Ronnie Scott's club, 1963, with "tough tenor" saxist Johnny Griffin, supported by house rhythm team---pianist Stan Tracey, bassist Malcolm Cecil, drummer Jackie Dougan. This Harkit archive series of American musicians making first U.K. appearances offers the authentic feel of live sessions. Griffin's fast-fingered, fluent tenor and exuberant attack gives extended work-outs to blues ("Wee Dot," "Straight, No Chaser") and standards (try "All the Things You Are" and "Little Man, You've Had a Busy Day"), with admirably sympathetic support from Tracey's trio. Jazz journalist Les Tomkins, who taped these Scott sessions, writes full liner notes and provides excerpts from a Griffin interview. A collector's edition, and more to come. Very welcome. (Andrew Clark, Editor, Riffs & Choruses: A New Jazz Anthology. Continuum Publishing.) Price: £13.99