Note: the CD I listened to was the 2001 Rudy Van Gelder Edition with 3 alternate take bonus tracks.
First off, that's yet another great Blue Note graphic design on the cover from the creative mind of Reid Miles.
No originals here, but tasteful renditions of jazz standards and show tunes. I've seen the album called "one of the landmark piano trio recordings in jazz history" and I'm not sure if I've heard enough piano trio recordings to qualify me to make such bold statements, but I sure do like the thing. I dig Clark's phrasing throughout.
Original liner notes by Leonard Feather.
Clark - piano
Paul Chambers - bass
Philly Joe Jones - drums
There's quite a few jazz musicians who go by "Sonny," huh? Now that I think about it, the best jazzer I know personally is named Chris and I call him by his given name, but his entire family calls him Sonny.
Reviews/ratings:
- Billboard (★★★): "Six highly attractive sets by the trio"
- The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide (1999): ★★★★
- The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz (1999): ★★★
- The Penguin Guide to Jazz (5th ed., 2000): ★★★½
Peak on the US Billboard Top 200 chart: Did not chart
Tracks: The top track here might be the closer, the 1941 standard I'll Remember April, which is beautifully performed solo by Clark. As far as trio tracks, my favorites are the aforementioned show tunes: I Didn't Know What Time It Was (from the 1939 musical Too Many Girls) and Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (from the 1928 operetta The New Moon). The only track I'm tempted to occasionally skip is the opener, Dizzy Gillespie's Be-Bop. I should probably like be-bop more than I do, but I normally find it too frantic even though the technique of the performers is usually impressive.
The three bonus tracks are alternate takes of I Didn't Know What Time It Was, Two Bass Hit, and Tadd's Delight. And while I think the correct takes were chosen, I'm glad Blue Note decided to tack them on to this CD reissue.
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: None
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