Search - Willie Smith :: Sound of Distinction

All you Willie Smith fans take note

G. Wallace | Hilliard, OH USA | 06/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Five stars because where else are you going to find 70+ minutes Willie Smith style? Thank goodness the copyrights expired and our tasteful Europeans buddies can put some of this stuff on the virtual shelves! This item's from Barcelona and it's a very nice compilation. I've been fond of Smith from a very young age because at his best he could outswing anybody. And while these tracks don't obviously exceed his best turns with Jazz at the Philharmonic or Just Jazz, there's some fun listening and a terrific assortment of co-conspirators on this disk. Les Paul (dazzling), Andre Previn (strange), Lucky Thompson, Barney Kessel, and Howard McGhee (just before their contributions to immortal Charlie Parker tracks), Dodo Marmarosa (contemporary with his Parker tenure), swingers Juan Tizol, Babe Russin, and Vido Musso, and three very fine Duke Ellington tracks to top it off. Willie Smith is fearless and variably to the point, as ever. He has at least one Ellington ballad turn that Hodges would be proud of, and I never heard why he left Duke so quick (must have been a New York winter)."

" A Sound Of Distinction " is perfect

Nelson Tolipan | Rio de Janeiro, Brasil | 02/20/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent compilation of one of the greatest sax-alto players. Sax, Amazon!, it's not the piano player Willie "The Lion" Smith as announced!

Pure lyricism and wonderful technique. Pity it's not remastered as it deserved but still very much worthwhile.



Nelson Tolipan - Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (the "s" is right)"