Vintage Harry Belafonte and California Cool jazz is represented in the latest two reissues from Avid Records
The unique Harry Belafonte changed America’s taste in music with his first handful of albums. His 1956 Calypso is a hands down classic with “The Banana Boat Song (Day-O0”, “Jamaica Farewell” and “Will His Love Be Like His Rum” timeless in their innocent joys. The next year he continued his Great West Indies Songbook with Love, Love Alone” and “Island In The Sun”. In 1959 Belafonte focused on ballads and love songs such as “Fifteen” and “Times Are Getting Hard”, before returning in 1961 to his calypso strengths, teaming up with The Trinidad Steel Band for energetic pieces such as “Monkey” and “Sweetheart From Venezuela”. A new genre created by one man.
Consisting of mainstream vets Barney Kessel/g, Shelly Manne/dr and Ray Brown/b ,the trio known as The Poll Winners released a handful of impressive small group trio sessions, high on melody and swing. Their 1957bdebut includes a lovely read of “Satin Doll” and lithely swinging take of “Green Dolphin Street.” Next time around two years later, they sizzle with style through “Volare” and bounce with delight to “Surrey With The Fringe On Top” with Kessel in a styling mood. For the third time around, the give some straightahead grooves for “It’s All Right With Me”, Manne digging in on “The Little Rhumba” and Kessel tapping into his inner Charlie Christian for “Soft Winds” . For 1960, Brown cuts a groove for “So What” and bops to “Little Suzie” as the team is tasty for the gospel soul of “Doodlin’”. Unassuming beauties.