Hey gang. This is a re-up from three years ago at the "old" Crypt. Been spinning it recently and thought that perhaps some of you missed the original post. You will notice that three out of four members of the JPJ Quartet appear on this album together.
Next up is the curiously titled
"Fatha" Blows Best. Since we all know that Earl Hines was a pianist, I am not exactly sure what he blows...I will leave that up for you guys to figure out.
Title aside, this is another hard swingin winner. The group are all veterans of jazz, and it shows on the album. This quintet doesn't rush much of anything as they cook their way through ballads and mid tempo numbers.
Thinking Of You raises the fever, but only for a couple minutes. Infact most of the tunes don't exceed 3 minutes with the exception of
Shine On Harvest Moon. On that tune, the group must have really been feelin it as it almost triples any other song on the album in length.
Hines mostly comps for his front line although he does throw in a pinch of hot pepper every now and again. Budd Johnson is excellent here, and fans will want to hear him tear through these numbers on both tenor and soprano. Infact his soprano work is excellent and it adds a nice dimension to the recording, expanding the realm of possibility and keeping things interesting. Buck Clayton was also having a fine day and compliments his partner well. Pemberton and Jackson mostly just keep things swingin for the group, which is fine by me.
This session could easily have appeared as a Swingville or Moodville side. The overall vibe gives me a visual of a hot southern day. This group had been together for some time, with the exception of Clayton, and clearly knew how to use their rapport to paint a picture.
This minty LP was ripped at 24/44.1 wav and dithered to 16/44.1 FLAC. A wonderfully swingin album...enjoy!!
Decca (DL75048) Mar. 8/11, 1968 NYC
Earl "Fatha" Hines - piano and vocal; Budd Johnson - soprano/tenor sax; Buck Clayton - trumpet; Bill Pemberton - bass; Oliver Jackson - drums