Various Artists”The Prestige Legacy, Vol. 3: The All Star Jam Sessions”
( Prestige Records, 2002 )
Catalog # PRCD-24275 & 242752
Tracklisting:
1. New Blues up and Down – Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt 5:09
2. The Happy Blues – Gene Ammons 12:07
3. Just You, Just Me – Hank Mobley, Al Coh … 9:30
Performed by: Hank Mobley, Al Coh, Zoot Sims, John Coltrane
4. House of Chan – Donald Byrd, Phil Woods 5:51
5. Flickers – Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley 6:10
6. A.T. – Donald Byrd, Frank Foster 6:44
7. Forty Quarters – Art Farmer, Donald Byrd … 4:36
Performed by: Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Idrees Sulieman
8. Pedal Eyes – Phil Woods, Gene Quill … 7:36
Performed by: Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Hal Stein
9. Touché – Thad Jones, Frank Wess 6:29
10. Light Blue – John Coltrane … 7:52
Performed by: John Coltrane, Bobby Jaspar, Webster Young
11. Easy Living – Jackie McLean … 7:36
Performed by: Jackie McLean, John Jenkins
Featuring:
Gene Ammons, John Coltrane, Al Cohn, Art Farmer, Gene Quill, Sonny Stitt, Phil Woods…
Review:
“Around 1950, there were two major advances in recording technology. One was the advent of high-fidelity mono; ’50s hi-fi wasn’t quite stereo, but it was close. The other was the advent of the LP. Because improvisers were liberated from the time limits of 78s, the sort of extended jams that had been taking place in jazz clubs could take place in a studio. In the ’50s, Prestige took full advantage of LP technology by recording a lot of blowing dates, and those studio jam sessions are the primary focus of this 79-minute compilation (which spans 1951-1957). Fantasy establishes a very jam-minded tone by making Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt’s “New Blues Up and Down” the opening track. Ammons and Stitt were the ultimate in bop sportsmanship — their tenor battles are legendary — and “New Blues Up and Down” (a 1951 sequel to the original “Blues Up and Down”) is a perfect way to begin a jam-oriented bebop/hard bop disc. In the ’50s, Prestige loved to unite two or more jazzmen who played the same instrument, and on this record, that could mean four alto saxes (Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Hal Stein, and Sahib Shihab on “Pedal Eyes”), four tenor saxes (John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims on “Just You, Just Me”), or three trumpets (Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, and Idrees Sulieman on “Forty Quarters”). But Prestige’s jam sessions could also mean having a variety of horns on the front line, such as Ammons getting together with Farmer and alto saxman Jackie McLean on “The Happy Blues.” The compilation’s liner notes, by the way, were written by tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. In many cases, musicians have been guilty of writing sophomoric, uninformed liner notes, but Alexander provides astute and insightful liner notes for this rewarding compilation.”
By Alex Henderson (AMG)
1. New Blues up and Down – Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt 5:09
2. The Happy Blues – Gene Ammons 12:07
3. Just You, Just Me – Hank Mobley, Al Coh … 9:30
Performed by: Hank Mobley, Al Coh, Zoot Sims, John Coltrane
4. House of Chan – Donald Byrd, Phil Woods 5:51
5. Flickers – Donald Byrd, Hank Mobley 6:10
6. A.T. – Donald Byrd, Frank Foster 6:44
7. Forty Quarters – Art Farmer, Donald Byrd … 4:36
Performed by: Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, Idrees Sulieman
8. Pedal Eyes – Phil Woods, Gene Quill … 7:36
Performed by: Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Hal Stein
9. Touché – Thad Jones, Frank Wess 6:29
10. Light Blue – John Coltrane … 7:52
Performed by: John Coltrane, Bobby Jaspar, Webster Young
11. Easy Living – Jackie McLean … 7:36
Performed by: Jackie McLean, John Jenkins
Featuring:
Gene Ammons, John Coltrane, Al Cohn, Art Farmer, Gene Quill, Sonny Stitt, Phil Woods…
Review:
“Around 1950, there were two major advances in recording technology. One was the advent of high-fidelity mono; ’50s hi-fi wasn’t quite stereo, but it was close. The other was the advent of the LP. Because improvisers were liberated from the time limits of 78s, the sort of extended jams that had been taking place in jazz clubs could take place in a studio. In the ’50s, Prestige took full advantage of LP technology by recording a lot of blowing dates, and those studio jam sessions are the primary focus of this 79-minute compilation (which spans 1951-1957). Fantasy establishes a very jam-minded tone by making Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt’s “New Blues Up and Down” the opening track. Ammons and Stitt were the ultimate in bop sportsmanship — their tenor battles are legendary — and “New Blues Up and Down” (a 1951 sequel to the original “Blues Up and Down”) is a perfect way to begin a jam-oriented bebop/hard bop disc. In the ’50s, Prestige loved to unite two or more jazzmen who played the same instrument, and on this record, that could mean four alto saxes (Phil Woods, Gene Quill, Hal Stein, and Sahib Shihab on “Pedal Eyes”), four tenor saxes (John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims on “Just You, Just Me”), or three trumpets (Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, and Idrees Sulieman on “Forty Quarters”). But Prestige’s jam sessions could also mean having a variety of horns on the front line, such as Ammons getting together with Farmer and alto saxman Jackie McLean on “The Happy Blues.” The compilation’s liner notes, by the way, were written by tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. In many cases, musicians have been guilty of writing sophomoric, uninformed liner notes, but Alexander provides astute and insightful liner notes for this rewarding compilation.”
By Alex Henderson (AMG)
By Pier
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