Yes, before she teamed up with her husband John Coltrane and created transcendental jazzitation, Alice McLeod was a bebopping pianist hired as a sideman for swinging vibes man Terry Gibbs. This album, which contains both sessions of the two together from 1963, is impressive on its own merits, but the fact that it includes the future Mrs. Coltrane has you searching for clues for things to come.
What you actually end up with is an impression of McLeod’s bop chops that holds up quite well to the fairly concise tunes on the February ’63 format with Ernie Farrow/b, Steve Little/dr and the leader Gibbs. The two get romantic together on the lithe “Ballad For Barbara” and bluesy for “Sol Right With Me” while piano and vibes snap and crack on the hip reads of “Burton Up Your Lip” and “Henny Time” with McLeod showing a firm grip all throughout. Later on in the year, Gibbs and McLeod team up with Herman Wright/b and John Dentz/b for a modal “El Nutto” that gives hint of Coltrane’s famous “Impressions” while the two give kinetic interplay for “Little ‘S’” and get soft and nimble for “Sleepy Head Blues”. No harps, no chanting, and no complaints.