This is the kind of material that makes Spain-based Fresh Sound Records the standard bearer for historic recordings.
Red Callender made his name in the jazz circles as bassist for the likes of Lester Young, Nat Cole, Erroll Garner, Benny Carter, Charlie Parker and Art Tatum. His trio sessions with Tatum are Desert Island delights. What’s less known about Callender is that he also had a foray into the R&B genre, as these sessions from the early 50s reveal.
He’s in a sextet and quartet (or “fortette” as he liked to call it) format, with the latter consisting of Eddie Beal/p, Chuck Norris/g and Lee Young/dr sounding earthy as all get out on ”Blues for JT” an d’ Loose Pork Chops.” The sessions vary between horn players, with Marshal Royal/as, Maxwell Davis/ts and Floyd Turnham/bs joined by Chico Hamilton (!) and some timbales on a smoking “Perdido” and Mauri Lynn’s succulent voice on “Fooled Again.” The team gets the juke joint jumpin’ with a three sax team again on “Cravin’ Company” and with trumpeter John Anders, a pair of saxes, Beal, Norris and Young, the team sizzles through “Hollywood Drive” and a calloused fingered “Lonesome Rebecca.”
The three sax band shows it can swing with rough edges, as they take on “C Jam Blues,” a smoky “Poinciana” and a wonderful read of “Glow Worm.” Some vocals by Linda Hayes make a hoot out of “Atomic Baby” and “No Next Time” with the band not missing a beat after a luscious “September in the Rain.” This album shows that music can be fun; when’s the last time you thought that way?