Search - Bill Perkins :: On Stage: Bill Perkins Octet

Beautiful arrangements, silky-smooth interplay. Cool gem.

12/04/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perkins is one of those players deep jazzbos know & appreciate, but goes largely undetected by the casual listener. A shame b/c he's a sweet tenor player (in the Lester Young way) & a superb arranger. Some of the charts are his, some aren't, but they're all imaginative & lovely. This session, from the mid/late 50s, is one Perkins' few as a bandleader (very little is out on cd) & really epitomizes why the cool age is so beloved among listeners. In fact, Blue Notes' re-issue of these old Pacific Jazz sides is one of the revelations of 1998, jazzwise. Obscure, West Coast jazz recordings are finally seeing the light of day. This record, like many others of this ilk, is melodic & maintains that great blend of cool restraint & L.A. heat. I listen to this record & I think of "L.A. Confidential" or "The Big Nowhere" & I imagine I'm in that L.A. theater listening to & watching this precious display."