Gene Ammons

[John L]

Yea, nothing like a little Gene Ammons to get us in the spirit for the new year.

[Soul Stream]

Let's not forget some of Gene's 70's sides. I DIIIIGGG his version of Linda Ronstats' "Long Long Time"...not to mention all his other 70's stuff. To me, THAT was some of the most soulful and spiritual Jug of all (although I know many will disagree).

Edited January 3, 2005 by Soul Stream

[pryan]

I just picked up an OJC vinyl re-issue of JAMMIN' WITH GENE. Liking it muchly so far.

[montg]

I'm arriving somewhat belatedly to the Ammons bandwagon, having been influenced by the lukewarm reviews in the Penguin guide, I guess. Live and learn. The jam session 'Funky' with Art Farmer, Kenny Burrell, Jackie Mclean, Mal Waldron etc. is outstanding. 40 minutes of warm, unhurried swingin' the blues..a real treasure. Something easy to overlook, but I'm beginning to realize how rare this type of warmth and depth can be in music.

[Soul Stream]

You can't f**k with Gene Ammons. Tenor sax doesn't get any better, only different.

[Soulstation1]

i love gene's LOUD sound

[Peter Friedman]

Gene Ammons has that quality that is lacking in so many players today - a unique sound that is readily identifiable. Ammons has a big sound and is certainly a soulful player.

Among my favorite Ammons CDs are:

Boss Tenor

The Gene Ammons Story - The 78 Era

Gentle Jug

The Happy Blues

Gene Ammons All Star Sessions With Sonny Stitt

[papsrus]

Was just nosing around for some information on Gene Ammons and stumbled across this thread. Any further ideas on where to start with Ammons would be appreciated.

[Soul Stream]

Was just nosing around for some information on Gene Ammons and stumbled across this thread. Any further ideas on where to start with Ammons would be appreciated.

Starting...well, "Boss Tenor" on Prestige is widely regarded as his masterpiece. But to be honest, Gene was so consistent ALL of his recordings are pretty much terriffic. I find myself coming back to Blue Gene and a lot of his Prestige "jam" LPs. Also, "The Boss Is Back"...his first recording after a lengthy prison stay and a personal favorite..."Brother Jack meets The Boss"

Edited August 18, 2008 by Soul Stream

[Niko]

haven't heard a lot of ammons so far, my favorites are

Blue Gene (what a band: Idrees Sulieman, Gene Ammons, Pepper Adams, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins, Art Taylor, Ray Barretto)

Angel Eyes (my first ammons, did indeed buy it partly for the obvious reason, two fine small groups with johnny hammnod smith (and frank wess) and with mal waldron...)

and, not really a sideman date i'd say

Groove Holmes - Groovin With Jug

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Jug's finest period of work, in my view, was in the approx two years between his prison sentences. In that short period, Jug made 25 LPs as leader or co-leader and the overall standard is exceedingly high. I have 24 of them and I can only count two as being a bit below par - "Preachin'" and "Live in Chicago" - mostly a matter of personal taste I think, rather than a statement of quality.

Here's a list, including reissue details.

BOSS TENOR - PRESTIGE 7180 - 6/1960 (OJC297)

VELVET SOUL - PRESTIGE 7320 - 6/1960,6/1961&9/1962 (not completely reissued - some on "Organ combos" (PRCD24071), some on "A stranger in town" (PRCD24266), one never reissued.

ANGEL EYES - PRESTIGE 7369 - 6/1960,9/1962 (OJC980)

NICE 'N COOL - MOODSVILLE 18 - 1/1961 (PRCD24079)

JUG - PRESTIGE 7192 - 1/1961 (OJC701)

LATE HOUR SPECIAL - PRESTIGE 7287 - 6/1961&4/1962 (OJC942)

SOUL SUMMIT VOLS 1 & 2 (with Stitt, McDuff, Etta Jones) - PRESTIGE 7234 & 7275 - 6&12/1961&1,2&4/1962 (PRCD24118)

GROOVIN' WITH JUG (with Holmes) - PACIFIC JAZZ 32 - 8/1961 (PJ CDP7 92930)

DIG HIM (with Stitt) - ARGO 697 - 8/1961 (OJC708) (originally issued by Argo, then Prestige, as "We'll be together again")

BOSS TENORS (with Stitt) - VERVE 68426 - 8/1961 (837 440)

JUST JUG - ARGO 698 - 8/1961 (OJC395) (originally issued by Argo, then Prestige, as "Live in Chicago")

UP TIGHT - PRESTIGE 7208 - 10/1961 (PRCD24140)

BOSS SOUL - PRESTIGE - 7445 10/1961 (PRCD24140)

TWISTIN' THE JUG - PRESTIGE 7238 - 11/1961 (PRCD24071)

MELLOW GRAVY (with McDuff) - PRESTIGE 7228 - 1/1962 (OJC326)

BOSS TENORS IN ORBIT (with Stitt) - VERVE 68468 - 2/1962 (314 549 371)

SOULFUL MOODS OF GENE AMMONS - MOODSVILLE 28 - 4/1962 (PRCD24079)

BLUE GROOVE - PRESTIGE MPP2514 - 4/1962 (never reissued) (originally recorded by Argo, unissued, then issued on Prestige, but not until 1982)

PREACHIN' - PRESTIGE 7270 - 5/1962 (OJC792) (originally recorded by Argo, then issued on Prestige.)

JUG & DODO - PRESTIGE 24021 - 5/1962 (PRCD24021) (originally recorded by Argo, then issued on Prestige.)

HOUSE WARMIN' (with Howard McGhee) - WINLEY 6005 - prob 5/1962 (many reissues on various cheapo labels. Also issued on Chess.)

BAD BOSSA NOVA - PRESTIGE 7257 - 9/1962 (OJC351)

SWINGIN' THE JUG - ROOTS 1002 - c1962 (dunno anything about this)

SOCK - PRESTIGE 7400 - 11/1954,11/1955,4&9/1962 (not completely reissued - some on "A stranger in town" (PRCD24266). A compilation of some mid fifties cuts with half of a session with Mal Waldron, never issued as a separate album - a crime, because this is some beautiful material. You can get the whole session by getting "Stranger" and "Angel eyes".

My personal favourites are

Boss tenor

Soul summit

Jug

Nice 'n cool/Soulful moods

Groovin' with Jug

Boss tenors in orbit

Bad Bossa nova

and

the session with Mal Waldron, which I think I'll make into a CDR to play it all together.

But I love everything, really. I have almost everything he recorded.

MG

[Chuck Nessa]

I would add the "Up Tight"/"Boss Soul" combo disc to Goldberg's favorites list.

[papsrus]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Great list MG! ... I'll mine this thread some more, but for now I've placed orders for "Boss Tenor," as it seems to be high on a lot of folks' lists, and the "Up Tight"/"Boss Soul" disc as well (which can be had for a song through Newbury Comics). Appreciate the input.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I would add the "Up Tight"/"Boss Soul" combo disc to Goldberg's favorites list.

Well, I probably should have included that. "Up tight" was one of the first of his albums I ever bought (with Groovin' with" and "Bad Bossa Nova"), so it must have made a big impact on me

MG

[rshurman]

Jug's finest period of work, in my view, was in the approx two years between his prison sentences. In that short period, Jug made 25 LPs as leader or co-leader and the overall standard is exceedingly high. I have 24 of them and I can only count two as being a bit below par - "Preachin'" and "Live in Chicago" - mostly a matter of personal taste I think, rather than a statement of quality.

I want to put in a word of defense for "Live In Chicago." Some of the circumstances are less than ideal, but that doesn't seem to get in the way of Jug's fire, and there are a couple of killer (if pretty typical) blues on there, Foot Tappin' and Jug's Blue Blues if I remember right. There's something to be said for (and against) just going for it in a club.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Jug's finest period of work, in my view, was in the approx two years between his prison sentences. In that short period, Jug made 25 LPs as leader or co-leader and the overall standard is exceedingly high. I have 24 of them and I can only count two as being a bit below par - "Preachin'" and "Live in Chicago" - mostly a matter of personal taste I think, rather than a statement of quality.

I want to put in a word of defense for "Live In Chicago." Some of the circumstances are less than ideal, but that doesn't seem to get in the way of Jug's fire, and there are a couple of killer (if pretty typical) blues on there, Foot Tappin' and Jug's Blue Blues if I remember right. There's something to be said for (and against) just going for it in a club.

I agree with that. Just one or two numbers are taken at a pace that's just a bit too fast for Jug to really dig into them. Compared with "Groovin' with Jug", where all the tempos are just perfect, it's not quite as enjoyable for me.

MG

[blind-blake]

House Warmin' is a pretty underrated set. It's not up to the same standards as Boss Tenor (my personal favorite), but it's damn nice. Howard McGhee burns it up, as well.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

House Warmin' is a pretty underrated set. It's not up to the same standards as Boss Tenor (my personal favorite), but it's damn nice. Howard McGhee burns it up, as well.

Yes, it's my mate's personal favourite Ammons. A very, very rewarding album with a rhythm section of people I've never heard of. I think it was issued on CD in Japan earlier this year (maybe last year), with a different title.

MG

[rshurman]

Jug's finest period of work, in my view, was in the approx two years between his prison sentences. In that short period, Jug made 25 LPs as leader or co-leader and the overall standard is exceedingly high. I have 24 of them and I can only count two as being a bit below par - "Preachin'" and "Live in Chicago" - mostly a matter of personal taste I think, rather than a statement of quality.

I want to put in a word of defense for "Live In Chicago." Some of the circumstances are less than ideal, but that doesn't seem to get in the way of Jug's fire, and there are a couple of killer (if pretty typical) blues on there, Foot Tappin' and Jug's Blue Blues if I remember right. There's something to be said for (and against) just going for it in a club.

I agree with that. Just one or two numbers are taken at a pace that's just a bit too fast for Jug to really dig into them. Compared with "Groovin' with Jug", where all the tempos are just perfect, it's not quite as enjoyable for me.

MG

No argument there either; Groovin' With Jug is wonderful. It's nice to have the CD with unedited versions and an extra track or two.

Speaking of midwestern tenors recording in LA for Pacific Jazz, Bob Porter told me a good one about Sonny Stitt's "My Mother's Eyes" LP (Porter's first liner notes). He says they ran out of tape at the end of "Red Top" and Sonny had a plane to catch so they got Clifford Scott to come in and play an ending which they spliced.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Speaking of midwestern tenors recording in LA for Pacific Jazz, Bob Porter told me a good one about Sonny Stitt's "My Mother's Eyes" LP (Porter's first liner notes). He says they ran out of tape at the end of "Red Top" and Sonny had a plane to catch so they got Clifford Scott to come in and play an ending which they spliced.

Wow!!!!! My God!!!!!

I MUST give that cut a careful listen. Have had it for years and was playing it a few days ago - I've never noticed a THING!

MG

[Shrdlu]

I love that 1961 Verve album he did with Sonny Stitt. That album alone was enough to make me a big fan of both. He had a wonderful, rich, heavy sound.

Check out his appearance on that live big-band album that Mingus did in 1971 - Mingus With Friends or some name like that.

[Soulstation1]

[Mark Stryker]

Hands down my favorite is "Jug," and if I had to pick the greatest Gene Ammons solo I've ever heard, it would be "Exactly Like You," which leads off side 2. The phrasing and pacing of that solo are amazing -- nobody could tell a story quite like Jug, but the narrative quality of the way that solo is structured is as nuanced as a novel. Plus, the expressive use of timbre, dynamics, sly double time, witty asides and turns of phrases, ideas that rhyme, winks at the blues -- I've had the fantasy that somebody should dive bomb all the jazz schools across the country with Gene Ammons records; the jazz world would be a lot better off. I got hip to Jug in college at the University of Illinois in the early '80s. There were a lot of great things about the scene there in those days, and one of them was that it was hip to dig Gene Ammons. I'll always be grateful for that.

Question for board members old enough to have heard Ammons live: What was it like in the room? How big was the sound? Was he consistent night to night, set to set, solo to solo? What was his stage presence like?

Edited August 19, 2008 by Mark Stryker

[Chuck Nessa]

His sound was as big as it sounds and his bearing was confident/majestic.

[Larry Kart]

Question for board members old enough to have heard Ammons live: What was it like in the room? How big was the sound? Was he consistent night to night, set to set, solo to solo? What was his stage presence like?

The sound was the same size as recorded (not that all Ammons was recorded the same, but you know what I mean). It filled the room, though I don't recall it as loud particularly, more large and immensely warm; it just filled the room (and the listener). Consistency was high (no play on words intended). Stage presence was relaxed glowing authority -- not unlike Dexter but each in his own way (two big men who inspired much affection). Princely.