Not appreciated these days because his career was mostly in the West Coast, trumpeter Carmell Jones is best known for his short stint with Horace Silver. His solo on “Song For My Father” is a classic and is reason enough alone for giving him a second look. Here, he’s caught in a never before released 1960 session from Hollywood with the trio of Forrest Westbrook/p, Gary Peacock/b and Bill Schwemmer. There are six songs and four alternate takes, and the music is vintage bop to post bop. Jones has a honey of a sound on the lovely “Willow Weep For Me” and shows he’s got the gravitas on Ray Charles’ “Ruby” and “Baubles, Bangles and Beads.” He sits out to let Westbrook hit the ivories on a tenacious “Airegin,” making you wonder where this thing has been sitting for all these years. Fresher than 90% of what is currently called “new” releases.
Fresh Sound Records