During an era when
Big Joe Turner recordings were often surprise hits with rock & roll fans (particularly "Shake, Rattle and Roll"), he occasionally recorded no-nonsense blues-oriented jazz dates too. This reissue album matched
Turner for one of the last times with the veteran boogie-woogie pianist
Pete Johnson and also includes a variety of top swing players: trumpeter
Joe Newman, trombonist
Lawrence Brown, altoist
Pete Brown, tenor saxophonist
Frank Wess, guitarist
Freddie Green, bassist
Walter Page, and drummer
Cliff Leeman. It is not surprising, considering the number of Basie-ites on the date, that the band often sounds like a
Count Basie combo.
Turner is in top form on remakes of some of his early tunes (including "Cherry Red," "Roll 'Em Pete," and "Wee Baby Blues"), a few traditional blues, and a couple of swing standards. This music should appeal to many listeners. ~ Scott Yanow