Search - Gigi Gryce :: Saying Somethin

A good blowing session (1 of 3)

FILIP HADZI-STEFANOV | Port Washington, NY United States | 10/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Composer/Arranger GIGI GRYCE puts together a nice effort here with not so popular but extremely explosive trupeter RICHARD WILLIAMS by his side. Williams has a lot of room to work as Gryce gives him the floor on every track. If you like the jazz trumpet then you need to get your hands on any Richard Williams you can. I've never heard such speed and precision with all the feeling too. He carries the music on his sleeve, and you can most definitely hear the blues within him. It's no secret of what Gryce's capabilities are as a writer and as a performer. His musical combinations are very structured, they are clever, and he takes his time to express himself. The wonderful quintet also consists of RICHARD WYANDS on piano, who also played with RICHARD WILLIAMS on what seems to be his only solo album on the CANDID label called "New Horn In Towm", REGGIE WORKMAN on bass, and MICKEY ROKER on the drums. On the title of this review I wrote (1 of 3). The reason for that is that this splended quintet recorded two more albums this year (1960) and they are equally outrageous. The only difference in the latter two, which are "The Rat Race Blues" and "The Hap'nin's", is that JULIAN EUELL is on bass rather than Reggie Workman. I own them all and am very satisfied...5 stars for all three, but you gotta play them loud!"