It wasn't until
Buck Clayton made the European scene in 1949 that he had a chance to begin making records as a leader.
Clayton cooked up 13 exceptionally fine tracks before heading back to New York. "High Tide" was a modern notion of
Count Basie's. "Swingin' at Sundown" is immediately recognizable as "At Sundown," an old
Walter Donaldson tune dating from the 1920s. The composer does not receive credit. Saxophonist
Don Byas interacts busily with
Clayton on "Who's Sorry Now" and the venerable "Sugar Blues." The trumpet is solely featured on "Blues in First," while "Blues in Second" is taken at almost exactly the same tempo, amounting to little more than a second take. "Don's Blues" is based on "Lester Leaps In." The second of the Parisian sessions brought in saxophonists
Armand Conrad and
Alix Combelle, trumpeter
Bill Coleman, and the young pianist
André Persiany.
Clayton and
Coleman interact on "Uncle Buck" and blend dazzlingly during "B.C. and B.C.," a walking
blues for two in which they are billed as Duo de Trompettes. The ensemble's third-chair trumpeter,
Merrill Stepter, is brought in to form the Trio de Trompettes on "Sweet Georgia Brown." Crucial support throughout all of these developments is provided by bassist
Georges Hadjo. The four tracks recorded back in New York in September of 1951 seem strangely foolish by comparison. Vocalist
Johnny Davis comes across as a bit of a twit, although it is interesting to hear the lyrics to "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise." During "Whispering" he keeps whispering the word "whisper" and is loudly answered by the band hollering "Don't shout!," "Don't scream!," and "Don't yell!" It's really kind of stupid. "Sixty Minute Man" is not the
r&b hit, but "The Syncopated Clock" is played by the rhythm section only.
Davis tries scatting like early
Babs Gonzales on "Smooth Sailing," an easygoing boppish bit of
blues. The saving graces on this date are the presences of trombonist
Kai Winding, clarinetist
Peanuts Hucko, and pianist
Bernie Leighton, who held the somewhat dubious distinction of being the leader. In February of 1953,
Buck Clayton sat in with
the Marlowe Morris Trio, an early modern organ combo.
Morris sounds uncannily like later-period
Fats Waller as he tickles the upper registers of the Hammond organ on "I Want a Little Girl." Organ and guitar devise an ostinato backdrop for
Clayton's horn on "Blue Moon." The guitar handles the bridge and the organ solo is tough. The final two tracks are extended jams. "Basic Organ Blues" walks an exceedingly cool path with
Clayton in fine, sassy form. The electrified guitar lays down a boogie and commences to rock. The piece even turns into "Night Train" for a while. This smart little band's take on "'S Wonderful" gradually comes to a boil as
Clayton enunciates the melody with elegant precision. ~ arwulf arwulf, All Music Guide
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