Webster Young: A Quiet Legend Live In Saint Louis 1961 (Fresh Sound FSR-CD 1158)
Conspicuously absent from the reference books, the intriguingly named trumpeter and cornetist Webster Young (1932-2003), was born in South Carolina and raised by his mother in Washington, D.C. His first influence was Louis Armstrong, after seeing him perform in the all-black musical Cabin In The Sky. He was briefly tutored by Louis and also played with Dizzy Gillespie in D.C. night spots, earning the nickname “Little Diz”. After military service in the Korean War, and on the advice of Miles Davis, he moved to New York City in 1956. There he appeared with such luminaries as Bud Powell, Lester Young and Jackie McLean. In the mid-1960s, he returned to Washington and taught music at the University of the District of Columbia.
His only album as a leader was For Lady (1957), conceived as a tribute to one of his musical heroines. Critic Ira Gitler wrote that “Webster has learned from Miles the value of playing a note and having it related to several chords at the same time. [His] pensive style is emotion-packed, lyrical, and heightens the feeling inherent in the tunes themselves.” Young’s talents are displayed on this “live” recording from the Little Nero Lounge in St. Louis. His bop credentials are evident on East St. Louis Shoot Out, When Lights Are Low, and Stablemates. Unfortunately, he has to contend with a choppy rhythm section and overlong tenor solos from Freddie Washington and Red Anderson. Nonetheless, there is much to enjoy in these rare if fairly lo-fi recordings. Sleeve writer Jordi Pujol asserts that “despite his sparse recordings [Young’s] unique voice left an indelible mark on jazz history, embodying the depth and grace of a musician whose talent deserves greater recognition.” This encomium is notably deserved on the ballad When I Fall In Love, with a tightly muted Young evoking shades of Miles Davis. By all means, check it out.
Various: Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions (Mosaic MD6-281)
Yet another splendid Mosaic issue, an anthology, immaculately produced (originally by John Hammond aided by Nat Hentoff), of mid-1950s studio sessions. The sound has been newly remastered on six CDs, containing (appropriately) 88 compositions, plus a lavish booklet with striking photos of the principal performers, complete details of the recordings and informative comments on all tracks by jazz writer Thomas Cunniffe. The disparate groups are led by (then) up and coming pianists – Ray Bryant, Sir Charles Thompson, Bobby Henderson, Ellis Larkins and Mel Powell. Powell leads a distinguished band of musical brothers including Buck Clayton (in dazzling form) Paul Quinichette and Bobby Donaldson. The lesser-known Bobby Henderson plays solo piano on 10 tracks, with a tribute to Fats Waller including Keepin’ Out Of Mischief Now, Blue Turning Grey Over You, a brief but sparkling Handful Of Keys and his own composition, an extended (9.38) Blues For Fats.
Twenty-seven-year-old Ray Bryant, already an established and versatile pianist, appears with his brother Tommy on bass and Jo Jones on drums. They recorded the entire session in 42 minutes, seemingly without a pause for breath. Bryant offers two original compositions, a soulful Spider Kelly Blues, and an uptempo Cubano Chant, with superb backing from Jones.
Sir Charles Thompson (who also featured on the famous Buck Clayton 1950s studio jam-sessions) is joined by Freddie Green, Walter Page and Jo Jones, who offer as an opener Thompson’s boogie-inflected original, Sonny Howard’s Blues. Joined on another session by guitarist Skeeter Best and bassist Aaron Bell, they ride such war horses as Sweet Georgia Brown, Love For Sale and Stompin’ At The Savoy.
The most rewarding tracks feature Mel Powell and the remarkable Ellis Larkins (with the equally talented Ruby Braff). Their contributions alone are worth the price of this set. Pianist, arranger and composer Mel Powell was known to Hammond from his time with Benny Goodman. Mel is heard to advantage – along with Paul Quinichette – on Pennies From Heaven, What’s New? and Makin’ Whoopee. The most controversial and intriguing tracks have to be Larkins’ three-movement composition Sonatina. Thomas Cunniffe suggests that “Listeners who are unfamiliar with this style of music may find it thorny and incomprehensible but on repeated listening, [it] becomes more accessible and inviting.” I’ve yet to be convinced. He is much more palatable in partnership with Ruby Braff and Bobby Donaldson. Try the initially sprightly Thigamagig, which soon shades into a gentle lullaby, and/or a hectic California, Here I Come.
The icing on the cake has to be the Braff/Larkins duets. New Yorker critic Whitney Balliett wrote that “For sheer inspiration and first-rate creativity, these should find a permanent place among the greater efforts of recorded jazz.” In a later profile of Braff, Balliett captured the essence of his sound and style. [He] is “in the best way, a rococo performer who uses a lot of notes, sagacious flourishes, and a scarlet tone. He achieves an expansive cave of sound in the lower registers.” That observation is validated on every one of the 25 duets he played with Larkins in 1955. To name just a few examples, the duo fashioned definitive versions of My Funny Valentine, You Took Advantage Of Me, and Mountain Greenery.
Cunniffe aptly sums up the similarities (and differences) between the two players. He says Larkins honed “his light touch and sensitive pedal technique during his classical training at Peabody and Julliard”, continuing “He never looked down on jazz as inferior to classical music.” In contrast, he said, Braff “was self-taught and was one of the few jazz trumpeters to focus on the lower level of his horn”, adding “That approach allowed him to rest his lips so he could go into the upper register whenever he wanted – as on Advantage.” Cunniffe also reminds us that 17 years after these stellar Vanguard recordings, Braff and Larkins recorded a new set of duets, again in the avuncular presence of John Hammond.
Cannonball Adderley: Cannonball’s Sharpshooters (Waxtime LP 772352)
First released in 1958, this is one of the three albums (Sophisticated Swing, Cannonball Enroute and the album above), made by Cannon with his brother Nat (cornet), Junior Mance (piano), Sam Jones (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). It is arguably the best, but has received scant attention and few critical plaudits. With the release of this new high-quality vinyl record it should receive more favourable estimates. The titles are mostly from jazz standards associated with the bop idiom – Our Delight and Stay On It (Tadd Dameron), and Straight, No Chaser (Thelonious Monk). This LP also has an additional track, the timeless I’ll Remember April (Gene DePaul-Patricia Johnston-Don Raye).
All participants are at the top of their respective games: Cannon soars (appropriately) on his original composition Jubilation. Nat complements his brother’s nimble solos. Cannonball said in a 1972 interview “Nat and I played together for many years, and we developed lots of things… We were basically just simple players. We had never been exposed to the blood and guts, dog eat dog syndrome. We were just Florida guys. So we played a lot of blues, a lot of funk, a lot of gospel sounding stuff”. Both Cannonball and Cobb would participate in Miles Davis’s landmark Kind Of Blue in 1959.
On this earlier date, Chicago-born Mance, Jones (a Floridian) and Cobb (born in D.C.) comprise a tightly knit and responsive rhythm section. A fast moving Our Delight opens the proceedings, followed by tightly organised renditions of What’s New?, and Fuller Bop Man. The longest track – Straight, No Chaser (8.29) – has a satisfying and distinctly Miles Davis influenced solo from Nat, followed by ruminative ones from Jones and Mance. Ralph J. Gleason is quoted on the sleeve as having remarked that Mance “is so steeped in the blues tradition that he carries it along everywhere… his solos are beautifully constructed, rhythmically as well as melodically”. If Cannon, with his piercing and intelligent solos is the star of these sessions, his compatriots are not far behind.
