Fresh Sounds and Norgran Reissues

[garthsj]

I have noticed recently that Fresh Sounds has begun, as I predicted a while ago, to reissue material from the vast, and very tempting, Norman Granz catalog. There is a Ralph Burns "Among The JATPers", and just today I noticed this album:

Kenny Drew Trio

Featuring: Kenny Drew (p), Curley Russell, Eugene Wright (b), Art Blakey, Charles 'Specs' Wright, Lawrence Marable (d)

REFERENCE: FSRCD 416

BAR CODE: -

PRICE: 8.99 €

In a jazz scene literally overflowing with brilliant pianists, the clear truth is that a disproportionate number of them rely on their skill as technicians rather than their imagination, their wit and their new approach to older ideas. Mostly, the latter attributes are lacking. In Kenny Drew, however, we had a pianist whose skill was readily apparent—it was so apparent, in fact, that he chose not to belabor the point and astonish us with virtuosity for its own sake. Skill having been stated to everyone’s satisfaction, Drew went on to other matters—to the subtleties in shading and expression that made him unique.

Contains the albums:

- New Faces / New Sounds (Blue Note)

- The Ideation of Kenny Drew (Norgran Records)

Tracklisting:

1. Yesterdays (Kern-Harbach) 5:19

2. Stella By Starlight (Young-Washington) 2:26

3. Gloria (Drew) 3:21

4. Be My Love (Cahn-Brodzsky) 2:41

5. Lover Come Back To Me (Romberg-Hammerstein) 3:30

6. Everything Happens To Me (Adair-Dennis) 4:39

7. It Might As Well Be Spring (Rodgers-Hammerstein) 2:46

8. Drew’s Blues (Drew) 2:23

9. Bluesville (Drew) 5:21

10. Angie (Drew) 5:33

11. I’ll Remember April (Raye-DePaul-Johnston) 6:33

12. My Beautiful Lady (McLellan-Caryll) 5:33

13. Many Miles Away (Drew) 2:42

14. Four And Five (Drew) 3:13

15. Fifty-Second St. Theme (Monk) 3:22

16. Lo Flame (Drew) 3:34

17. Chartreuse (Drew) 4:29

18. Kenny’s Blues (Drew) 5:55

19. Polka Dots And Moonbeams (Burke-Van Heusen) 4:16

Personnel and dates:

#1-8: Kenny Drew (p), Curley Russell (b), Art Blakey (d). NYC, April 16, 1953.

#9-13: Kenny Drew (p), Eugene Wright (b), Charles "Specs" Wright (d). NYC, 1953.

#14-18: Kenny Drew (p), Eugene Wright (b), Lawrence Marable (d). Hollywood, September 2, 1954.

#19: Kenny Drew (p).

This is a two-fer combining a Blue Note and a Norgran! Also, the Kenny Drew Trio on Norgran was recently reissued on the Verve Vault download site. I wonder what all of this means? I must confess, as someone who prefers his music in a nice jewel box, this could be the answer to finding those elusive albums, complete with liner notes and cover art (albeit a small one).

Edited July 3, 2006 by garthsj

[BruceH]

I say more power to 'em.

[Bluesman]

I have a Fresh Sound CD of Steve Kuhn's "Three Waves" and the sound is horrible. Not sure if this the source material or a bad transfer. Probably the former.

If the sound is OK I'd be very interested in this material.