Personnel:

Art Farmer, Emmett Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, Shorty Baker, Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, Joe Wilder (tp), Hank Jones, Don Abney (p), Wendell Marshall (b), Kenny Clarke, Bobby Donaldson (d)

Top Brass was a 1956 stellar (5-star in Down Beat) album in a modern and expanded reincarnation of many of the Keynote sessions in the 40s when a pride of several lions on one particular instrument was assembled to exchange ideas and styles. In this case, Savoy presented five trumpeters (Ernie Royal, Idrees Sulieman, Joe Wilder, Ray Copeland, and Donald Byrd) blowing score and solo in various Ernie Wilkins settings flawlessly backed by the famous trio made up by Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall, and Kenny Clarke. The success of this first, experimental, date allowed Savoy's producer Ozzie Cadena to do a repeat session utilizing five different trumpet players (Art Farmer, Emmett Berry, Charlie Shavers, and Harold Baker) and a rhythm section with two changes: pianist Don Abney, and drummer Bobby Donaldson. The end result was Trumpets All Out, another excellent date with essentially mood setters. The lines are sprightly and

Ernie, who arranged all, is his usual spare, swinging, estimable self.

TRACKLIST:

01. 58 Market St.

02. Trick Or Treat

03. Speedway

04. Dots What

05. Top Brass

06. Ballad Medley (#6-10)

Willow Weep For Me

Imagination

It Might As Well Be Spring

The Nearness Of You

Taking A Chance On Love

11. Five Cats Swingin

12. Blues In 6/4

13. Trumpets All Out

14. Shes Just My Size

15. Ballad Medley (#15-18)

Love Is Here To Stay

Time On My Hands

When Your Lover Has Gone

All Of Me

19. Low Life

All tracks recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studios in Hackenshack, NJ. On November 8, 1955 (tracks #1-10) and on January 15, 1956 (tracks #11-19)