It never ceases to amaze me that, after being a jazz fan for over half a century, Spain-based Fresh Sound Records is still able to bring up from the depths singers and musicians I’ve never heard before. Case in point is Clora Bryant (1927-2019), who was the first female trumpeter for Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. She had a strong and clear tone (think Howard McGhee) , and she sang with an earthiness that is reminiscent of the likes of Ruth Brown and Dakota Stanton. This single disc covers here material from her days in Los Angeles, and, it’s quite impressive.
How impressive? Well, she more than holds her own on a 17 minute jam in LA surrounded by the likes of Don Fageruist/tp, Herb Geller/as, Bill Perkins/ts, Pepper Adams, Claude Williamson/p, Curtis Counce/b and Mel Lewis among others on a swinging take of “Rifftide”. She then sings and plays horn with a small group for some clever reads of ‘Sweet Georgia Brown”, “ Tea For Two” and an earthy “Gipsy In My Soul”. A pair of tunes with Dick Jacobs’ orchestra has her playing deeply on “Angel Eyes” and in an R&B mood for “Blueberry Hill”. The accompanying booklet lists all of the sessions and gives a rich background to this multifaceted lady. What have I been missing all these years.