The first of the famous
Buck Clayton jam sessions, the exciting music on this long out-of-print LP has been reissued as part of a Mosaic box set. Two songs ("Sentimental Journey" and "Moten Swing") are from a December 1953 session in which the trumpeter/leader is teamed with trumpeter
Joe Newman, trombonists
Urbie Green and
Benny Powell, altoist
Lem Davis,
Julian Dash on tenor, baritonist
Charlie Fowlkes, pianist
Sir Charles Thompson, guitarist
Freddie Green, bassist
Walter Page and drummer
Jo Jones. However it is "How Hi the Fi" (cut along with "Blue Moon" on March 31, 1954) that is most memorable.
Buck and fellow trumpeter
Joe Thomas, trombonists
Urbie Green and
Trummy Young, clarinetist
Woody Herman,
Davis and
Dash,
Al Cohn on second tenor, pianist
Jimmy Jones, guitarist
Steve Jordan, bassist
Walter Page and drummer
Jo Jones are all in inspired form. The most memorable soloists are the rambunctious
Trummy Young, the harmonically advanced chordings of
Jimmy Jones and an exuberant
Woody Herman who was rarely heard in this type of jam session setting. With
Clayton having worked out some ensemble riffs for the horns beforehand and plenty of space left for spontaneity, this music has plenty of magic.