While being born and dying in Chicago, Gene Ammons was considered one of the classic “Texas” Tenors, defined as one with a swaggering big smoky sound. Son of pianist Albert Ammons, Gene was able to mix the soul of R&B with bebop rhythms in a way rivaled by few. This eight album collection will get you hooked on a sound that is unfortunately long gone, so appreciate it for the time it was available.
Ammons was most at home at jam sessions, and his 55 teaming with Jackie McLean/as, as everyone st Addison Farmer/b, Candido/cong, Art Talor/dr, Art Farmer/tp and Duke Jordan/p is a case in point, as everyone stretches out on “Happy Blues” and “Madhouse”. The next jam is with Mal Waldron/p, McLean, Donald Byrd/tp, Doug Watkins/b and Taylor, with Ammons blowing smoke rings on “Jammin’ With Gene”. Ammons then gets funky with almost the same team, but brings in the swinging guitar of Kenny Burrell on a fun “Pint Size” and “King Size”.
Ammons switches things up by bringing in trumpeter Idrees Sulieman and bassist Paul Chambers for a Hi Fi jam that snaps on “Four” and is a backbeater on “The Twister”. Ammons’ big sound is on display for a 1958 recoding with a new cast, including John Coltrane/ts, Jerome Rihardson/ts-fl, Pepper Adams/bar, Paul Quinichette/ts as a bold sax section driven by Art Taylor/dr, Mal Waldron/p and George Joyner/b, with the team hitting like heavyweights on “The Real McCoy” and “Blue Hymn”. Last up is Ammons in a blue mood with Sulieman , Adams, Waldron, Watkins, Taylor and Ray Barretto on the congas, with Ammons blowing a fog on “Blue Gene” and “Blue Greens and Beans”. Get lots of BBQ sauce for this tasty collection.