Search - James Clay, David "Fathead" Newman :: Sound of the Wide Open Spaces

The Beauty of "Wide Open Spaces"

Michael B. Richman | Portland, Maine USA | 04/03/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Texas, the state known for its "wide open spaces," is also known for producing great saxophonists, most notably Ornette Coleman, Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb and Booker Ervin, but also the underrated James Clay and David "Fathead" Newman. When "Cannonball" Adderley began producing for the Riverside label, he made it a point to record the less recognized of his colleagues. As was the case with Don Wilkerson's "The Texas Twister" (see my review), Adderley brought in a superb rhythm trio to support tenormen Clay and Newman on this April 26, 1960 session -- Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums. "Sound of the Wide Open Spaces" is an all standard affair with the Babs Gonzales penned title track and "What's New," which showcases Clay on flute, the disc's strongest moments. "Wide Open Spaces" is a solid post-bop album, and being that the disc is a 2002 release, I'm delighted to see that there are still gems in the OJC vaults to be reissued."