The latest cache from UK based Avid Records brings up some important, though under the radar releases.
One of the most important of the “new” country artists, and creator of “The Bakersfield Sound”, Buck Owens hit the ground running with his early pre “Tiger By The Tail” recordings. His eponymous debut from 1961 included violinist Don Rich for irresistible pieces like “Above and Beyond” and his first take of “Nobody’s Fool But Yours”. A second album with the same title includes “Country Girl” and “Blue Love”. The followup is a classic, covering the Harland Howard songbook with two steppers like “Foolin’ Around” and tear in your beer “Heartaches By The N umber” . Next year kept the pace with “You’re For Me” and a pair of polka tunes for the dancers. Pre-plugging in and glitter shirt, and sounds ready to roll.
One of the saddest tales of jazz vocalists is Beverly Kenney who tragically took her life at 28 years old. It wasn’t due to lack of talent, as her small catalogue is a timeless treasure. Her 1955 debut is a quartet date with Johnny Smith/g,Bob Pancoast/p, Knobby Totah/b and Mousie Alexander/dr and his a treat, with gorgeous tkes of “Tis Autumn” and “Almost Like Being In Love”. Her next album is a swinger with a semi big band arranged by Ralph Burns that includes Billy Bauer/g, Urbie Green/tb, Milt Hinton/b and Don Lamond/dr with hip takes of “If I Were A Bell” and a confident “This Can’t Be Love”. She’s then backed by some Count Basie alumni in Freddie Green/g, Frank Wess/ts-fl, Joe Newman/t and Eddie Jones/b for sublime takes of “The More I See You” and a definitive “Old Buttermilk Sky”. An intimate album with just pianist Ellis Larkins and bassist Joe Benjamin is hauntingly gorgeous, as Kenney seduces with “Do It Again” and “You’re My Boy”. Last is a 1960 session with a small group including guitarist Chick Wayne and woodwind master Jerome Richardson, and Kenney still stuns in “I Had the Craziest Dream” and “Sentimental Journey”. She sounded like no one else, and we are the worse off for not having more of her material.