A first rate trumpeter, Nick Travis served his time as a sideman for the likes of BennY Goodman, Woody Herman and Gerry Mulligan. He recorded only one album as a leader, The Panic Is On from 1954, and it’s the centerpiece of this impressive reissue of that session and others that featured him as a sideman.
Travis’ warm Chet Baker-like tone teams up with Al Cohn/ts-arr, John Williams/p, Teddy Kotick/b and Art Mardigan/dr for 8 toe tappers, with Cohn’s horn and pen doing wonders with “Tickletoe” and “Nick’s Knacks.” Travis’ own “ Cohn Pone” is a hepster’s delight, while a quintet under the leadership of Cohn, but also including boppers like Horace Silver/p, Curley Russell/b and Max Roach/dr drives like a truck on the uptempo “ I’m Tellin’ Ya” and the bluesy “Jane Street.” A couple of tunes lead by pianist Elliot Lawrance have a big band swagger on “Blues Alley” and swing with aplomb as Zoot Simms, Cohn and Chubby Jackson/b make for great sounds on “Standing on the Corner.” Travis gets a rich solo during a ’57 session with Richard Wess’ octet on “Blues For someone” and “Lover Man” making you wonder why we missed this guy the first time around. Check it out!
Fresh Sound Records