The emphasis is on the blues and very basic chord changes on this relaxed jam session. With trombonist Bennie Green leading an octet that also includes the tenors of Gene Ammons and Frank Foster, trumpeter Nat Adderley, Frank Wess on tenor and flute and a rhythm section led by pianist Tommy Flanagan, everyone has plenty of opportunities to solo.
J.J. Johnson, along with Bennie Green, was a founding father of bop trombone; Willie Dennis's promising career was cut short by an early death; "Jay and Kai" had successfully collaborated on several projects in the Fifties. But the unique and legendary meeting of these trombone giants, which first appeared on the Debut label and is reissued here, was unprecedented in jazz. Almost as remarkable is the rhythm section on this CD, with John Lewis making a rare appearance outside the Modern Jazz Quartet.
Anyone casually searching for guitarist Grant Green's first recordings might easily wind up standing at a discographical crossroads, as three different albums claim to contain his earliest work. Technically speaking, Gambit's 2007 reissue of Grant Green's First Recordings is the definitive article; even if tenor saxophonist Jimmy Forrest was the leader on these sessions, what you hear are the guitarist's first performances in a recording studio. Recorded in New York City on December 10 and 12, 1959, this music represents Forrest's transition from a decade-long adventure as an R&B star to a jazzier, more stretched-out phase of his existence. Seven of these tracks were issued by Delmark records as Jimmy Forrest's album All the Gin Is Gone…
This is the third and final volume in the complete recordings of Lil Green in chronological order as reissued by the Classics Blues & Rhythm Series. By 1947 Lil Green was beginning to sound more than a little like Ida Cox, even when handling songs from Tin Pan Alley rather than straight up out of the tried and true traditional blues repertoire. Comparisons could also be drawn between Lil Green and Nellie Lutcher or Julia Lee. While her "crossover" performances are worthwhile, there's nothing quite like hearing this woman savor the flavor of Bessie Smith hits like "Aggravatin' Papa," "Outside of That," and "You've Been a Good Old Wagon (But You Done Broke Down)." Green's own "Lonely Woman" has a powerful undercurrent running through it – there is even a remote possibility that Ornette Coleman was inspired by this record when conceiving his own composition of the same title in 1959. Even if the link is purely coincidental, these melodies have something wonderful in common. Green's final recordings for the Victor label are strengthened by the presence of tenor saxophonists Budd Johnson, Lem Johnson, and David Young.