Jeannie And Jimmy Cheatham

For their sixth Concord recording, there was a major change in the personnel of the Cheathams' Sweet Baby Blues Band. Jimmie Noone, Jr. had passed away, and his replacement was the popular tenor Rickey Woodard, who on this set also plays some effective alto and clarinet (the latter on "Buddy Bolden's Blues"). But Woodard is only one of a bunch of colorful soloists, which include pianist/singer Jeannie Cheatham, Jimmy Cheatham on bass trombone, altoist Curtis Peagler, Snooky Young and Nolan Smith on trumpets, baritonist Dinky Morris and guest Frank Wess on tenor and flute. With bassist Red Callender and drummer John "Ironman" Harris keeping the ensembles swinging and driving, this is a particularly memorable set..

This time around, the Cheathams' guest is altoist/singer Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson - a perfect choice, since his ability to play both blues and Kansas City swing/bop is similar to the style of the Sweet Baby Blues Band. Although the emphasis is on swinging blues, there are a few departures, including Jeannie Cheatham's wistful vocal on "Detour Ahead," and a hot instrumental "Homeward Bound." In addition to Vinson and Jeannie (a splendid pianist), soloists include the tenors of Jimmie Noone, Jr. (doubling on clarinet) and Dinky Morris, altoist Curtis Peagler, trumpeter Snooky Young and bass trombonist Jimmy Cheatham. Not to be overlooked are bassist Red Callender and drummer John "Ironman" Harris. But it is the heated and riffing ensembles, along with the pure joy this band generates, that make all of their Concord recordings easily recommended.

The Kansas City swing blues of the Sweet Baby Blues Band is very difficult not to enjoy. Jeannie Cheatham's exuberant vocals (propelled by her forcefully swinging piano) inspire the many soloists on the blues-oriented material, and there is plenty of variety in tempo and feeling to keep this set continually interesting. Among the main soloists are ageless trumpeter Snooky Young, tenorman Rickey Woodard (making his debut on clarinet on two cuts), and guest altoist Hank Crawford, who sits in on four songs.

Drummer Chico Hamilton introduced many top young players during his years as a bandleader, but few probably realize that Larry Coryell made his recording debut with Chico a year before joining Gary Burton's quartet. The Dealer marks Coryell's initial appearance on record, and at times he sounded oddly like Chuck Berry (especially on "The Dealer"). Also heard on this set are altoist Arnie Lawrence, bassist Richard Davis, organist Ernie Hayes (on two numbers), and, on his spirited boogaloo "For Mods Only," Archie Shepp making a rare appearance on piano. Most of the performances still sound surprisingly fresh, especially the explorative "A Trip," making this an underrated but worthy release.