The Early Birds!
TRACK ONE - To wit.
TRACK TWO - "The Kicker". Guitarist almost sounds like a Country player, a "picker". And that's a compliment. High competency all around. Whoever it is has studied the genre thoroughly. Nothing new is added, but nothing is particularly lost either. So it's a break-even, which in today's jazz is damn near a win!
TRACK THREE - "Red Cross", the old Bird/Tiny Grimes jam. Oh, that's Don Cherry, and that's Clifford Jordan. So that's probably Wilbur Ware, and that's definitely FIVE STARS in this galaxy! This would be from the Institute record that then ended up in hte Mosaic, right? That's such a DAMN GOOD RECORD!!!!
TRACK FOUR - I think the title says it all. What's up with the Honeydripper bit? Seems a bit of a Byard Bag, but not as...meaningful?
TRACK FIVE - Quirky! The Queen of Quirk and her Loyal Knight.
TRACK SIX - "Bags Groove" in minor?!?!?!?! I like this one a lot, Native tongue stuff, the pacing of the language.. I like that drummer too. It puts me in mind of Baby Face, but I don't know of this tune on any Baby Face record?
TRACK SEVEN - Not crazy about the tune. But the playing is just fine. Still, I suspect/hope that all involved have better things on/in their minds.
TRACK EIGHT - "Jive At Five" one of the stonest of the OG Basie stone classics! This has a bit of MJQ flavor to it, which ain't a bad thing. Oh, that's Bags, no wonder then! Love that pedal on the bridge, then and now. And that's Basie, not Lewis, so...some Pablo Basie JKam record. I've not heard on of those yet that has been, like WHOA, but they've all been plenty good, as is this.
TRACK NINE - What the hell is this? That's Monk, but doing what? Is this from the album with Oliver Nelson? I refuse to listen to that record any more.
TRACK TEN - Gotta be Gary Burton, that tone/touch is his alone. I don't care for him too much past the first few ECM records (and before the OG RCA Quartet records), but no denying the skill and distinctiveness. But that sound of his can be so transparent, as it is here, that there's no "there" there, at least for me.
TRACK ELEVEN - I guess I like it? It's not aimed at me, that's for sure, and I only like it up to a point. But kudos to playing the melody in a meaningful way. Like if there's lyrics, they're definitely being played here. Sounds like it should have been on the Smooth Jazz charts but you can't fool thise people, this is NOT Smooth Jazz!!! LOL!! No idea who/what, but in this context, I can groove on it. And did.
TRACK TWELVE - No thanks. Cat Anderson? And then? I will say this, though, once they get out of the ballad, hey, that's a dance groove for sure. So, jazz for dancing, yes, please. Not just, but also, always.
Not a bad collection. Enjoyed it. Thanks!
And I like that it came in under an hour!