This long-lost session was originally cut for the Progressive label in 1954 and was not released until Prestige put it out in 1970. On it, listeners can hear tenor saxophonist
Al Cohn and bassist
Red Mitchell in fine form, in a quintet with three lesser known players: altoist
Hal Stein, pianist
Harvey Leonard, and drummer Christy Febbo. The music (
Mitchell's "Help Keep Your City Clean Blues," a four-song ballad medley, and two versions apiece of "Broadway" and "Suddenly It's Spring") is fine although there are no surprises. The most interesting aspect to this obscure session is how similar the light-toned
Cohn and altoist
Stein (who tended to emphasize lower notes) sounded to each other. ~ Scott Yanow