If you want to know what is missing in today’s sax players, this four disc set will serve as the template for comparison. Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis (1933-86) was one of the last “tough tenors”, meaning he had a bluesy growl to his swinging style that roared like a lion. He made his name as the beefy saxman for Count Basie before going on his own in a series of small bands, the most famous being those with organist Shirley Scott. That summit meeting lasted from 1955-60, with these albums (all recorded in 1958) as the smoking testament.
The first few were labeled as “Cookbooks”, and the charter 1958 team included George Duvivier/b, Arthur Edgehill and guest Jerome Richardson/ts-fl. Davis smolders with Richardson on Johnny Hodges’ blues “In The Kitchen” and he blows smoke rings on the standard “But Beautiful”. The second volume from the same year with the same team focuses mostly on low-ceiling’d hummers, with Davis and Scott volleying back and forth on “The Rev” and “The Broiler”. The third outing has no changes in the lineup, but Richardson does add his baritone for some variety, with Jones giving Jimmy Smith a run for his money on “My Old Flame” and the saxes oozing on “I’m Just A Lucky So and So”, with “Simmerin’ “ giving truth in advertising. Last but not least was the appropriately named Smokin’ , swinging deftly on “Pots and Pans”, digging in deep on “Jaws” and as tasty as Chocolate German Cake on “High Fly”.
Nothing fancy, tricky or sophisticated here, and that is the beauty of it. This is meat and potatoes music, filled with protein, just what today’s ears used to squishy tofu need to hear.