CD1
1. Woofin’ And Tweetin’
2. Juggernaut
3. The Happy Blues
4. The Great Lie
5. Can’t We Be Friends?
6. Madhouse
7. We’ll Be Together Again
Gene Ammons – Tenor sax
Art Farmer – Trumpet
All tracks (except track 7 CD2) plus:
Tracks 1-2 Gene Ammons All Stars
Lou Donaldson – Alto sax
Freddie Redd – Piano
Addison Farmer – Bass
Kenny Clarke – Drums
Tracks 3-6 Gene Ammons Hi Fidelity Jam Session -The Happy Blues
Jackie McLean – Alto sax
Duke Jordan – Piano
Addison Farmer – Bass
Art Taylor – Drums
Candido Camero – Congas
Track 7- Hi-Fi Jam Session- Jammin’ With Gene
Jackie McLean – Alto sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Mal Waldron – Piano
Doug Watkins – Bass
Art Taylor – Drums
CD2
1. Jammin’ With Gene
2. Not Really The Blues
3. Funky
4. Pint Size
5. Stella By Starlight
6. King Size
7. New Blues Up And Down
Tracks 1-2 Hi-Fi Jam Session - Jammin’ With Gene
Jackie McLean – Alto sax
Donald Byrd – Trumpet
Mal Waldron – Piano
Doug Watkins – Bass
Art Taylor – Drums
Tracks 3-6 Gene Ammons Hi-Fi Jam Session - Funky
Jackie McLean – Alto sax
Mal Waldron – Piano
Kenny Burrell – Guitar
Doug Watkins – Bass
Art Taylor – Drums
Track 7
Gene Ammons – Tenor sax
Sonny Stitt – Tenor sax
Bill Massey – Trumpet
Alfred “Chippy” Outcalt – Trombone
Charles Bateman – Piano
Eugene Wright – Bass
Art Blakey – Drums
In speaking to the English journalist Les Tomkins in 1965, that music
philosopher Sonny Stitt offered the following quotation: “You ain’t
(sic) supposed to play over people’s heads. You’re trying
to give a message to people and make it as simple as possible for
average man.” That is the theme of these two CDs which are straightahead
long-form blowing sessions from some of the best exemplars of the
craft under the rubric Gene Ammons - Art Farmer All Stars The
Complete Jam Sessions.
CD1
Gene Ammons (a.k.a. “Jug” or “The Boss”) was the son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, and had a huge tenor sax sound that was swing-era leaning but
who could hold his own in a bop-oriented setting when called upon to do so. Art Farmer, at this point in his career, was still somewhat under-appreciated
and he did not reach greater acclaim until he released Modern Art in 1958 and then in 1960 when he associated himself with Benny Golson
to form and record The Jazztet where his songfulness and bop-derived style came to the fore. These jam sessions were done originally for Prestige
Records and were a counterpoint to the swing-style sessions that Buck Clayton was recording for Columbia Records. Freeing the musicians from the time
constraints of commercial airplay produced sessions that were delightful, starting with the opening track, a blues-driven Woofin’And Tweetin’ and
the same band followed with Juggernaut, another great track. Of those startling players on these cuts, only two are still alive: altoist Lou
Donaldson who is 85, still active and was inducted as a Jazz Master in 2013 by the National Endowment for the Arts, and pianist Freddie Redd also still
playing on the New York scene. On the next four tracks starting with The Happy Blues the band changes personnel and with the addition of Candido
on congas the whole feel of the session takes on a different groove and swings in an outstanding way. The communication among Ammons, Farmer and altoist
Jackie McLean along with the solid rhythm section is jubilant, and all the compositions exhibit their own musical mark. The final track on this CD is We’ll Be Together Again, and has an expanded band that in addition to McLean has Donald Byrd on trumpet plus a rhythm section of Mal Waldron
piano, Doug Watkins bass and Art Taylor on drums. After an opening ballad chorus featuring Ammons, the tune settles into a medium-tempo affair with all
hands on deck swinging out in solid fashion.
CD2
The first two tracks of this CD Jammin’ With Gene and Not Really The Blues are performed by the same band that closed CD1. It is quite
clear that the band was swinging hard and in exemplary form with results that demonstrated the stylishness of the group. The following four tracks are
particularly interesting for a couple of reasons. Firstly the band added Kenny Burrell on guitar who, with his single-note lines and bluesy approach,
brought a vitality to the group that was noticeable. Additionally two numbers Pint Size and King Size were written and arranged by the
highly-regarded swing-era arranger Jimmy Mundy. Mundy was known for his arranging for Benny Goodman which included Swingtime In The Rockies and Sing, Sing, Sing as well as Count Basie for his classic Jumpin’ At The Woodside. Mundy’s arrangements for this session were full of
exciting ideas and creative voicing which pushed the band to an enthusiastic approach to the compositions. The final track pairs Gene Ammons with Sonny
Stitt for their composition New Blues Up And Down. The tune was a new adaptation of the tune Blues Up And Down which they recorded on the
album Boss Tenors where they were at their competitive best.
These sessions were the epitomé of intense frolics interspersed with a couple of ballads, all of which make these discs welcomed additions to any record
library.
Pierre Giroux
CD Reviews
American Jazz Classics 99076
