If you’re a hard bop fan in terms of music by Horace Silver or Art Blakey, you’re going to discover a friend in the obscure trumpeter Webster Young (1932-71). He played with the likes of Coltrane, Gordon, McLean and even Ike & Tina Turner before turning into the world of jazz education. This album of his working quartet of Freddie Washington/ts, John Chapman/p, John Mixon/b and Chauncey Williams/dr from a 1961 gig is a three unit course in vintage hard bop.
Young had a sweet and mellow tone a la Kenny Dorham and Blue Mitchell, and he cruises with the beefy Washington on a sleek read of “Stablemates” and belts it out on a sizzling read of “Whispering”. Young’s got some great ideas when he stretches out on “East S. Louis Shoot Out” and hits hard around Chapman’s piano on “Ray’s Idea”. Tenor saxist Red Anderson joins in for a full fledged “When Lights Are Low” and Young closes out the album on an aria of “When I Fall In Love”. Put this guy on your “ to do” list.