Al Grey
THE LAST OF
THE BIG PLUNGERS (2 LPS ON 1 CD)
Personnel:
Joe Newman
(tp), Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb), Billy Mitchell (ts), Charlie Fowlkes (bs),
Floyd Morris (p), Freddie Green (g), Ed Jones (b), Sonny Payne (d)
Reference: FSRCD 590
These two
albums, under the leadership of trombonist Al Grey, were recorded while he was
a member of Count Basies band. With the exception of the pianists, the men
assembled to play in these sessions were all well known Basie-ites. All the
charts share a spare, functional approach ideal for the three brass-two saxes
instrumentation. The arrangements delve cleanly and right to the heart of
swinging. Grey, famed for his plunger mute work, plays vigorously and
inventively.
Both
groupsan octet and a nonetdisplay that warm, moving blues feeling that
characterized the Basie band, with all the soloists blowing with sure-footed
intensity alongside the tastefully swinging leader.
Tracklisting:
01. Things
Aint What They Used to Be (Ellington-Persons) 3:46
02. Open
Wider, Please (Grey) 4:49
03. I Got It
Bad and That Aint Good (Ellington-Webster) 3:18
04. Dont Get
Around Much Anymore (Ellington-Russell) 3:06
05. How Come
You Do Me Like You Do (Austin-Bergere) 2:31
06. Bluish
Grey (Jones) 3:49
07. The
Elder (Jones) 5:15
08.
Bewitched (Rodgers-Hart) 3:36
09.
Kenie-Konie (Foster) 6:05
10. Salty
Papa (Grey) 5:50
11. Dont Cry
Baby (Johnson-Bernie-Unger) 2:22
12. Stranded
(Foster) 5:28
13. Tenderly
(Gross-Lawrence) 2:04
14. Rompin
(Foster) 3:44
15. King Bee
(grey) 5:38
16. When I
Fall in Love (Young) 2:32
17. Al-Lamo
(Jones) 4:52
Total time: 69:00 min.
Original sources:
Tracks #1-9
from the album "The Last Of The Big Plungers" (Argo LP 653).
Tracks
#10-17 from the album "The Thinking Man's Trombone" (Argo LP 677).
Personnel on "The Last Of The
Big Plungers" :
Al Grey
Octet: Joe Newman (tp), Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb), Billy Mitchell (ts),
Charlie Fowlkes (bs), Floyd Morris (p), Ed Jones (b) and Sonny Payne (d).
Recorded at
Ter-Mar Recording Studios, Chicago, September 25 & 28, 1959.
Personnel on "The Thinking Man's
Trombone" :
Al Grey
Nonet: Joe Newman (tp), Al Grey, Benny Powell (tb); Billy Mitchell (ts),
Charlie Fowlkes (bs); Freddie Green (g), Billy Higgins (p), Ed Jones (b) and
Sonny Payne (d).
Recorded at
Ter-Mar Recording Studios, Chicago, August 23,24 & 25, 1960.
Arrangements
by Frank Foster (#1-5,8,9,12,14); Thad Jones (#6,7,11,17); Al Grey (#10, 15);
nat Pierce (#16) and Clare Fischer (#13).
Original
recordings supervised by Jack tracy
Recordings
engineers: Malcom Chisholm (#1-9) and Ron Malo (#9-17)
Produced for
CD release by Jordi Pujol
24-Bit
Digitally Remastered