Besides the obviously aesthetic value of the music, what you must appreciate about these two cds by Buddy Tate was when he made these sessions back in 1975, absolutely NO ONE was playing acoustic mainstream jazz. Miles, Herbie, Wayne, Chick, even Getz were plugging into something electric at the time, and acoustic guys were making a living by supplementing their incomes by being taxi drivers or delivery men. Just ask McCoy Tyner!
So, Buddy Tate from the Halcyon Days of the swing era, when Basie ruled the world, did a couple albums while in Europe. A hot little concert in Copenhagen has him with Tete Montoliu/p, Bo Stief/b and Sven-Erik Nerregaard/dr for soulful swing . Buddy even sings a bit on the jamming “Buddy’s Blues” while violinist Finn Ziegler makes an appearance on this tune and the wonderfully drawn out “In a Mellotone.” While Tate’s tenor growls like a tiger, Montoliu almost steals the show with his piano going from dainty and impressionistic Van Gogh dots to Jackson Pollock splashes in the back and foreground. Vintage toe tappers fill out the gig, as does Tate’s tone which is as beautiful as a fog rolling into the San Francisco Bay.
A group of swing alumni gets some studio time in France as they have a frolicking time with standards and originals. Casual and cozy vocals by Tate (“There Goes My Heart”), Vic Dickenson/tb (“Constantly”) and Doc Cheathem/tp (“I’ve Got a Right to Sing the Blues”) are interspersed between fingersnappers such as “Jive at Five” and “Somebody Loves Me.” Music like this makes you ponder the question “Who is playing nowadays that could sound this attractive in a jam session?”) Do I really need to name names of horn players that are technically adroit but unable to put to musical sentences together? And the rhythm section of George Duvivier/b, Oliver Jackson/dr and Johnny Guarnieri/p could make even Kenny G swing! As refreshing to the spirit as home made apple pie a la mode!
Storyville Records