I have always loved this cover art. But the cat leading this session I haven’t explored much, until recently. He is one of those jazz artists that have been there on the periphery of what I have been focusing on. Shame on me. This is a fantastic session by a great tenor player. I love his deep and warm tone. He plays with a lot of soul and the fabrics of the blues is ever present. A very lyrical player.
This album sports a great cast of players: Ammons on tenor sax, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Doug Watkins on double bass, Art Taylor on drums and Ray Barretto on congas. They breeze through seven selections, two of them Ammons originals. The overall feel of the album is very pleasant and very much focused on Ammons tenor. Love the texture the congas bring as well. They are not overpowering at all, just the right amount so they blend with the rest of the music, Tastefully played by Barretto. This title is highly recommended if you haven’t listened to it.
I’ve been eying my next Ammons title called “Jug”, also on Prestige. Hoping to find that one. Been getting several packages in the last couple of days with plenty of new arrivals. The beauty of finding affordable gems is there will be a lot more of them to add to the shelves. Looking forward to put them on the turntable during the next several days. Easter is this week and I will have some days off so I can maybe get some quality listening time then.
Do you have a favorite Ammons title that you’d like to share? Have a great Monday. Cheers!