Search - Bennie Green :: Blows His Horn

The Way It Was

J. G. Gollin | Holmdel, NJ United States | 05/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I own this album. My favorite cut on it is "Say Jack" - named for WOV's (later WADO's)deejay "Pear Shape" Jack Walker and used as his opening theme. When I was a senior in a white suburban NYC high school, a bunch of us would gather each morning in the parking lot of the HS, discuss what Jean Shepard said during his nightly all night show and listen to the tunes spun by Pear Shape.If you like riff jump music, you'll find this album outstanding. Green on trombone wails like so many of the jump tenors of his era. And you'll hear early Charlie Rouse (before he joined Monk) who reminds me in some ways of a cross between Lockjaw (without the growl) and Frank Wess.Great swingin' album. Brings back memories."

FOR COLLECTORS ONLY

John M. | 08/04/2008

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This 1955 effort for Prestige is marred for me by vocalizing on 2 tracks and rather loud congo playing from Candido on several others. Fortunately Bennie and Charlie Rouse returned to the studio several years later and recorded BACK ON THE SCENE for Blue Note. It is much the better of the two and is included in the 3 CD box set which gives you 5 LPs worth of music,including SOUL STIRRIN--WALKIN AND TALKIN and more."