One of the up-and-comers of the bebop era,
Allen Eager emerged before
Stan Getz,
Zoot Sims, and
Al Cohn as a
Lester Young-inspired tenor saxophonist who had a slightly harder tone and the ability to master bop. However after 1956 (when he was 29),
Eager largely lost interest in playing except for very rare returns to the scene. This British two-CD set has many of the high points from
Eager's career. He is heard leading a pair of four-song quartet/quintet sessions from 1946-1947 (although a second 1947 set is bypassed altogether) and a rare live version of "Zootcase" from 1953. In addition,
Eager is featured with
Coleman Hawkins ("Allen's Alley"), on a previously unreleased excerpt from a Jazz at the Philharmonic concert ("Blues"),
Red Rodney, the WNEW Saturday Night Swing Session, the
Buddy Rich Big Band, with
Barry Ulanov's Metronome All Stars,
Tadd Dameron,
Stan Getz,
Gerry Mulligan (the lengthy "Mulligan's Too"),
Terry Gibbs,
Kenny Clarke and, on nine selections, with trumpeter
Tony Fruscella.
Eager holds his own with everyone including
Charlie Parker (with
Ulanov's group) and
Fats Navarro. Although not a "complete" reissue, this two-fer covers most of the more significant moments in the all-too-brief career of
Allen Eager.