If you haven’t noticed that you are living in a Golden Age of recorded music, you aren’t paying attention. Never in my life has it been so easy to have access to so much music in so many different ways of listening. Not only that, but reissue packages are bringing out rare gems that haven’t seen the light of day in decades. Are you appreciating it?
Riding the Vinyl Revival is Craft Recordings, reissuing vintage 180 gram discs, all analog remasters that sound gloriously warm.
Just released is the debut album of LA-based bassist Leroy Vinnegar as a leader, and he brings together the jazz studs of the 1950s studio scene on this ’57 album of songs that contain the word “walk” in them. The team of Victor Feldman/vib, Gerald Wilson/tp, Teddy Edwards/ts, Carl Perkins/p and Tony Bazley/dr swing delightfully on Vinnegar’s original “Walk On” and Edwards is a hoot on “Walkin’ My Baby Back Home”. Wilson glows through “Walking By The River” and the team is sweet through “I’ll Walk Alone”. They sure make it sound easy!
Andre Previn was able to combine the worlds of jazz, classical and soundtracks throughout his long and illustrious career. He put together a series of “Jazz Meets Film” soundtracks that were highly successful, with this 1959 collection from West Side Story one of the best. Previn’s piano is classy on “I Feel Pretty” and “Maria” while Manne is ssleek on “Something’s Coming” and snappy on “Jet Song”. The trio simmers through “ Cool” and ricochet through the fun “America”. Who says jazz can’t sell?