The Great Lie, Pts. 1 and 2 - Wardell Gray, Calloway, Cab
Blue Lou - Wardell Gray, Mills, Irving
Backbreaker - Wardell Gray, Hawkins
She's Got Blues for Sale - Wardell Gray, Eckstine
Groovin' High - Wardell Gray, Gillespie, Dizzy
Hot House - Wardell Gray, Dameron
Bebop - Wardell Gray, Gillespie, Dizzy
Track Listings (22) - Disc #2
The Chase - Wardell Gray, Gordon
The Creep - Wardell Gray, Gray
Out of Nowhere - Wardell Gray, Green, Johnny [1]
Blue 'N' Boogie - Wardell Gray, Gillespie, Dizzy
Semi-Quiet (Sonny's Bop) - Wardell Gray, Criss
Blue Lou - Wardell Gray, Mills, Irving
How High the Moon - Wardell Gray, Hamilton, Nancy
C Jam Blues - Wardell Gray, Bigard, Barney
Light Gray - Wardell Gray, Gray, Wardell
Stoned - Wardell Gray, Gray
Matter and Mind - Wardell Gray, Gray
The Toupe - Wardell Gray, Gray
Cookin' on Up - Wardell Gray, Powell
Swedish Pastry - Wardell Gray, Kessel, Barney
Mary's Idea - Wardell Gray, Williams
Bye Bye Blues Bop - Wardell Gray, Bennett, David
Stealin' Apples - Wardell Gray, Razaf, Andy
Jahbero - Wardell Gray, Dameron
Ladybird - Wardell Gray, Dameron
Symphonette - Wardell Gray, Dameron, Tadd
Shawn - Wardell Gray, Stewart
The Hucklebuck - Wardell Gray, Alfred, Roy
Track Listings (22) - Disc #3
Five Star - Wardell Gray, Raney
Sugar Hill Bop - Wardell Gray, Wexler
In a Pinch - Wardell Gray, Haig
It's the Talk of the Town - Wardell Gray, Neiburg, Al J.
Bedlam - Wardell Gray, Goodman
In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee - Wardell Gray, Orent
Blue Lou - Wardell Gray, Mills, Irving
Egg Head - Wardell Gray, Mendelssohn
Twisted - Wardell Gray, Gray, Wardell
Southside - Wardell Gray, Gray
Easy Living - Wardell Gray, Rainger
Sweet Lorraine - Wardell Gray, Burwell, Clifford R
A Sinner Kissed an Angel - Wardell Gray, David, Mack
Blue Gray - Wardell Gray, Gray
Grayhound - Wardell Gray, Gray
Treadin' With Treadwell - Wardell Gray, Gray
Scrapple from the Apple - Wardell Gray, Parker
Song of the Islands - Wardell Gray, Basie
One O'Clock Jump - Wardell Gray, Basie, Count
Tootsie - Wardell Gray, Basie
Nails - Wardell Gray, Harding
Little Pony - Wardell Gray, Hefti
Track Listings (16) - Disc #4
Bright Boy - Wardell Gray, Bright
Jackie - Wardell Gray, Hawes
Farmer's Market - Wardell Gray, Farmer
Sweet and Lovely - Wardell Gray, Arnheim, Gus
Lover Man - Wardell Gray, Davis, Jimmy [4]
The Jeep Is Jumpin' - Wardell Gray, Ellington, Duke
Johnny Come Lately - Wardell Gray, Strayhorn, Billy
Punkin' - Wardell Gray, Rogers
The Rubaiyat - Wardell Gray, Lauderdale
I Hear You Knockin' - Wardell Gray, Bartholomew, Dave
Jingle, Jangle, Jump - Wardell Gray, Lauderdale
Citizen's Bop - Wardell Gray, Lauderdale
Bernie's Tune - Wardell Gray, Miller
The Squirrel - Wardell Gray, Dameron, Tadd
Taking a Chance on Love - Wardell Gray, Duke
Get Happy - Wardell Gray, Arlen, Harold
This 77 track celebration of the man's art is the most complete in the marketplace and comes with a 40 page booklet telling the story of one of the truly great bebop tenor saxophonists and including session details and ... more »rare photos. Four standard jewel cases housed in cardboard slipbox. Proper. 2003.« less
This 77 track celebration of the man's art is the most complete in the marketplace and comes with a 40 page booklet telling the story of one of the truly great bebop tenor saxophonists and including session details and rare photos. Four standard jewel cases housed in cardboard slipbox. Proper. 2003.
CD Reviews
Nobody Swung More than Wardell Gray
Jazz Fan 59 | Toronto, Canada | 05/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Wardell Gray was acknowledged to be one of the finest tenor saxophonists in jazz. He arrived as a 21-year old soloist in the Earl Hines big band of 1944-5. His style is firmly rooted in Lester Young, but his sound is all his own. His style resembles Dexter Gordon, but Dexter was closer to Parker, while Gray is closer to Young. His sound is full and rich and he swings hard. Like Young he has the ability to build solos of incredible drive through the use of memorable riffs. His ballad playing is haunting and memorable.
He was a regular participant in concerts staged by Gene Norman.
These were free-swinging jam sessions that placed a premium on on-the-spot improvisation. With the likes of Sonny Criss, Al Killian and Dodo Marmarosa these were very exciting affairs.
There's lots of this stuff here, much of it quite rare.
Gray's first solos with the Hines band of 1945 are here. The band sounds great, and the solo work is terrific.
The 1946 quartet sides with pianist Dodo Marmarosa are phenomenal. Their ballad paraphrase of the Man I Love is brilliant.
Gray's big brush with fame came as Benny Goodman's featured soloist in the 1948 "bebop" band. All the Capitol sides are here, including "Stealin Apples" with Fats Navarro. Gray is also heard with the Tadd Dameron band, again with Navarro.
The rare "Clique Club" recordings with Goodman, clarinet sensation Stan Hasselgard, Teddy Wilson and Mary Lou Williams are also here.
Of course, Gray's biggest hit "Twisted" is here. The Prestige stuff with Al Haig, and the Art Farmer Hampton Hawes recordings are here. This is where this set ends, circa 1953. Gray did record some later stuff that is not here, he died in 1956, but what is here is marvellous.
Gray plays superbly throughout. The sound is good. Much of this material has not been available for years, if ever. This is a real feast for tenor-lovers. I have played this package constantly since I got it, and recommend it highly.
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1