The Ray Draper Quintet Featuring John Coltrane - New Jazz 8228

The Ray Draper Quintet Featuring John Coltrane
(New Jazz 8228)

Ray Draper was only 17 when he led this date (all four of his sessions as a leader were made before he turned 20) and was brave (or foolhardy) enough to team up with tenor saxophonist John Coltrane (who was 14 years older and already a major name) in a quintet also including pianist Gil Coggins, bassist Spanky DeBrest, and drummer Larry Ritchie. Draper had ambitious dreams of making the tuba a major jazz solo instrument; the tuba/tenor front line is an unusual and generally successful sound, although Draper's solos on this reissue -- on three of his originals: Sonny Rollins' "Paul's Pal," the show tune "Under Paris Skies," and a tuba feature without Coltrane, "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" -- are clearly not on the same level as those of Coltrane or Coggin. One does admire Draper's courage, and it is a pity that he hardly recorded at all after 1960 because he had strong potential.

Personnel:
Ray Draper: tuba;
John Coltrane: tenor sax;
Gil Coggins: piano;
Spanky De Brest: bass;
Larry Ritchie: drums

1. Clifford's Kappa
2. Filidia
3. Two Sons
4. Paul's Pal
5. Under Paris Skies
6. I Hadn't Anyone Till You

Prestige/OJC, 1957
Excellent stuff – and one of the few rare early jazz sides to feature tuba player Ray Draper! Draper later went onto do a heck of a lot of studio and soul work, but at this early point in his career, he was a striking modernist, recording with Coltrane and Jackie McLean, in a mindblowing manner that should have left a larger impression on jazz. Despite the heaviness of Draper's instrument, his tone is fantastic – kind of a bassy one, with a rolling approach that really takes care of the bottom groove without any of the hoke you might expect. The album's a quintet session, with Coltrane on tenor, plus Gil Coggins on piano, Spanky De Brest on bass, and Larry Ritchie on drums. Includes the sublime soul number "Filide", plus "Two Sons", "Paul's Pal", and "Clifford's Kappa".
© 1996-2010, Dusty Groove America, Inc.


The Ray Draper Quintet Featuring John Coltrane (New Jazz NJLP 8228)
Ray Draper (tu) John Coltrane (ts) Gil Coggins (p) Spanky DeBrest (b) Larry Richie (d)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 20, 1957
1410 Under Paris Skies
1411 Clifford's Kappa
1412 Filide
1413 Two Sons
1414 Paul's Pal
** also issued on Prestige MPP 2507 entitled "John Coltrane - Ray Draper Quintet". Fantasy OJCCD 986-2.
http://www.jazzdisco.org/john-coltrane/catalog/album-index/#new-jazz-njlp-8228

MPP 2507 John Coltrane - Ray Draper Quintet
Ray Draper (tu) John Coltrane (ts -1/5) Gil Coggins (p) Spanky DeBrest (b) Larry Richie (d)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, December 20, 1957
1. 1410 Under Paris Skies
2. 1411 Clifford's Kappa
3. 1412 Filide
4. 1413 Two Sons
5. 1414 Paul's Pal
6. 1415 I Hadn't Anyone Till You
** reissue of New Jazz NJLP 8228 entitled "The Ray Draper Quintet Featuring John Coltrane".
http://www.jazzdisco.org/prestige-records/catalog-10100-16000-66000-34000-mpp-2500-11000-series/album-index/#mpp-2507

John Coltrane - The John Coltrane / Ray Draper Quintet

Label:Prestige
Catalog#:MPP-2507
Format:Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country:US
Released:1980 (Re-issue)

Tracklisting:
A1 Clifford's Kappa 9:10
A2 Filidia 7:10
A3 Two Sons 5:20
B1 Paul's Pal 7:16
B2 Under Paris Skies 7:45
B3 I Hadn't Anyone Til You 3:00

Credits:
Bass - Spanky DeBrest
Drums - Larry Ritchie
Piano - Gil Coggins
Saxophone [Tenor] - John Coltrane
Tuba - Ray Draper

Notes:
Recorded December 20, 1957. Original release as The Ray Draper Quintet Featuring John Coltrane on New Jazz 8228.
http://www.discogs.com/John-Coltrane-The-John-Coltrane-Ray-Draper-Quintet/release/1762448

Source: Internet

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