Few sounds this side of heaven are as wonderful as those delivered by what is called the “Classic Hard Bop Quintet.” Usually consisting of a front line of trumpet and tenor sax along with piano, bass and drums, this simple enough ensemble has been able to do amazing things in the hands of geniuses like Horace Silver and Art Blakey. It’s still used today, but these two reissues from Fresh Sound uncover two bands that were around at the halcyon days of this music, but were unfortunately unappreciated until (hopefully ) now.
Blue Mitchell/tp and Junior Cook/ts were long term members of Horace Silver’s band beingon classics such as Blowin’ The Blues Away. This single cd has two sessions from 61 &61 that they put out on their own, and it’s in the same wonderful vein. Dolo Coker, Ronnie Mathews or Cedar Walton handle the piano, Gene Taylor is on bass and Roy Brooks hits the drums on this set of cooking originals and standards. Like Silver’s band, these gents like to throw n a couple minor key misteriosos, and “Mzar” along with “Sweet Cakes” fit that mood perfectly. Cook is warm and rich on “Easy Living” and Mitchell’s gentle spirit is felt on “How Deep Is The Ocean.” This music sounds as fresh and timeless as Mozart’s late Symphonies.
You’ve surely heard of The Jazz Messengers and The Jazz Crusaders, right? Well, a bunch of guys got together for awhile and made up ….The Jazz Disciples! William Kelly plays the obscure pair of Normaphone (sort of a bari sax with a brass mouthpiece) and Euphonium (small and cozy tuba), while the rest of the band, Curtis Peagler/as-ts, Billy Brown/p, Lee Tucker/b and either Roy McCurdy or Slim Jackson/dr keep it pretty basic. All of the Jazz Disciples material, culled from a ’59 and a ’60 session is put on this single disc, and it’s really tasty material. Kelly sounds like a fluffy trombone on his two horns, with a creamy “After You’ve Gone” and Cannonball Adderley’s “A Little Taste” settling in real pretty along with “My Funny Valentine. “Peagle’s got the Parker/Stitt feel, and let’s loose on “Disciples Blues” and “The Happy Blues” and gets soft and gentle on “ Autumn Serenade.” Fingerpopping music indeed!
Fresh Sound Records