Search - Getz, Stan :: The Rare Dawn Sessions (With Wardell Gray, Zoot Sims & Paul Quinichette)

Four Lester Young Influenced Sax Greats in Combos

Donnie The B | USA | 02/11/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Want to own a couple of Wardell Gray and Paul Quinichette small group recordings? Here's some fairly rare ones! Paul replaced Wardell in the Basie band, so I've heard them in big bands before, but until now had no combo records of either. The other two sax men represented here are better known and well represented in my library.



Stan Getz left the Woody Herman herd in 1949 and recorded with pianist Al Haig's sextet in '49-'50. Four fairly short cuts from that group show up on this collection of Dawn label "rarities". Getz shows his bop side on "Skull Buster" and his better known lyrical side on "Pennies From Heaven". Al Haig on piano and Jimmy Raney on guitar contribute tasty fills and solos.



Zoot Sims was one of the Four Brothers in Herman's Herd alongside Stan Getz. Six tunes from a well rehearsed 1956 Sims quintet round out this 14 cut CD. Zoot generally shines above these other sax men, although all are enjoyable. Wardell Gray and Paul Quinichette were no slouches at all, but occasionally play a somewhat questionable note - something that Zoot very, very rarely did. Sims grabs an alto for "The Big Stampede"- a very boppish tune reminiscent of Bird and Diz. "Too Close For Comfort" also showcases Zoot's soaring alto sax.



All in all - if you enjoy saxy small combo jazz, especially the easy to enjoy 1950's variety - mostly cool - you will enjoy this CD of hard to find Dawn label material."