George Wallington Complete Quintet Sessions

Before he retired from music in 1960, pianist George Wallington led a series of excellent bop-based quintet albums. For this particular CD Wallington heads a group featuring altoist Phil Woods, trumpeter Donald Byrd, bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Nick Stabulas. With the exception of the standard "Indian Summer," the repertoire is pretty obscure (with now-forgotten originals by Byrd, Woods and Mose Allison in addition to "Graduation Day") but of a consistent high quality. The emphasis is on hard-swinging and this set should greatly please straightahead jazz fans.

Born Giacinto Figlia in Palermo, Italy in 1924 the young George Wallington was schooled in opera and the classics by his father and had moved to New York City by 1925. It was hearing Lester Young playing in the Basie band that led to him to get involved in the New York jazz scene where he soon found himself accompanying Billie Holiday at George’s club in Greenwich Village and perhaps more unlikely also playing opposite Liberace in Philadelphia! Wallington was back in New York when Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie set the place on fire with a new sound called Be Bop. Although he had arrived at his style independently he was likened to Bud Powell and he became one of the few white musicians to be invited to play what was essentially a black musical movement…

Now regarded as one of the most iconic figures in jazz history, back in the late 1950s John Coltrane was a regular ""gun for hire"" participating in many sessions by studio-assembled bands led by a wide array of leaders. None were more unusual than the two albums he recorded with Ray Draper, a truly unique exponent of modern jazz tuba. Although still in his teens, the prodigal brassman was already a member of drummer Max Roach's group and had begun to emerge as an equally promising composer, highlighted by the number of themes from his pen featured on these two sets. Recorded during Coltrane's celebrated ""sheets of sound"" period, Draper's brace of albums are noteworthy for their inclusion of three compositions written by the other twin-peak of modern jazz saxophone, Sonny Rollins, two of which Coltrane did not record elsewhere.

George Wallington - George Wallington Quintet At The Bohemia (1955) {Prestige Japan VICJ-41637 rel 2006, Paper Sleeve}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 168 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 104 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 31 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1955, 2006 Progressive Records / Prestige Records / Victor Japan | VICJ-41637
Jazz / Bebop / Hard Bop / Piano

This live set, although led by pianist George Wallington, is most significant for giving listeners early examples of the playing of trumpeter Donald Byrd and altoist Jackie McLean; bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor complete the quintet. The music, although comprised mostly of group originals (other than "Johnny One Note" and Oscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark"), is essentially a bebop jam and it is particularly interesting to hear just how much McLean was influenced by Charlie Parker at this point (although his sound was already quickly recognizable). This was a solid if short-lived group and their brand of hard bop will be enjoyed by straightahead jazz fans.

Frank Foster & George Wallington - Here Comes Frank Foster & Showcase (1954) {Blue Note 95750 rel 1998}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 426 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 161 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 33 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1954, 1998 Blue Note / Capitol | 7243 4 95750 2 8
Jazz / Bebop / Hard Bop / Piano / Saxophone

This double reissue combines saxophonist Frank Foster's first U.S. recording and a session led by pianist George Wallington that took place one week later with Foster sitting in. Recorded for Blue Note in Hackensack, NJ, on May 5, 1954, Here Comes Frank Foster (also issued as New Faces, New Sounds) was only Foster's second album as a leader. His debut album was recorded one month earlier for the Vogue label in Paris, France. Here Comes Frank Foster fits neatly with other albums from the mid-'50s Blue Note catalog.

This CD reissue, which adds "The Fuzz" to the original six-song LP, is a fine showcase for Bobby Jaspar and acts as an excellent introduction to his playing. A mellow-toned tenor and a fluent flutist who was quite bop-oriented, Jaspar is featured with pianist George Wallington, bassist Wilbur Little, drummer Elvin Jones, and (on three numbers) trumpeter Idrees Sulieman. The majority of the tunes (other than "My Old Flame" and "All of You") are originals by group members, straight-ahead tunes with good blowing changes.

George Wallington - Trios and Septet (1951) {Savoy Jazz ‎SV-0136 rel 1991}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 123 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 77 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 114 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1949-51, 1991 Savoy Jazz / Nippon Columbia Japan | ‎SV-0136
Jazz / Bop / Piano

George Wallington's technique was huge. When he played, especially with a trio, he filled the space around him with tons of piano. He and his instrument were front and center. But over and above the sheer virtuosity was Wallington's profound joy in playing. Across the ten trio tracks on this Savoy CD, Wallington shares that joy with the listener, not only with his playing but with writing that brims over with melody and invention. Best known as the writer of Godchild, immortalized on Miles Davis's Birth of the Cool, on these tracks he contributes eight top-flight originals in a more purely bop vein.

George Wallington - Knight Music (1956) {Atlantic–Koch Jazz KOCCD-8543 rel 2000}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (image)+CUE+LOG -> 204 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 84 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 13 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956, 2000 Atlantic / Koch Jazz | KOC CD-8543
Jazz / Bop / Piano

The fine bop pianist George Wallington hasn't received the recognition he deserved, possibly because of a two-dozen year gap from 1960-1984 when he was entirely out of the music business. This first-rate trio date for Atlantic has finally come out on CD and should help gain him some posthumous attention. One of his two greatest compositions, "Godchild" (which appears on the classic Miles Davis release The Birth of the Cool), opens the disc with a flourish, but there are many strong originals present. The lively stair-stepping "Serendipity" and the furious "Up Jumped the Devil" are worthy of comparison to Bud Powell. Wallington also covers several standards such as "Will You Still Be Mine?" and "It's All Right With Me" with finesse and imagination.