Famed trombonist Melba Liston was one of the hardest boppers around, best known for her work with Randy Weston and Art Blakey. Here, she’s teamed with her “bones” of Bennie Green, Al Grey, Benny Powell, Melba Liston, Slide Hampton, Jimmy Cleveland and Frank Rehak in various permutations. The rhythm teams included Kenny Burrell/g, George Joyner-George Tucker-Nelson Boyd/b and Charlie Persip-Frank Dunlop/dr in rotating fashion, with Marty Flax’s baritone sax added for one session. .
The tunes range from swinging Basie-ish swing like “Blues Melba” to boppers like “The Trolly Song” and “Zagred This”, with the harmonies of the brass gliding like golden velvet. The comparison of solo styles between the trombones makes for fascinating listening, with Bryant’s earthy tone contrasting with Hampton’s silky shine or Powell’s cup mute complementing Grey’s deep plunger. There’s more sliding here than spending a week watching Rickey Henderson!