There's a good and bad side of releasing old material that's been buried in a record label's vault or someone's attic. If the material's solid, say a live date from an artist's prime, then it's a Godsend. If the material is weak, or repeats earlier releases in a weaker form, it does a disservice to the artist. Luckily for fans of pianist
Jaki Byard, the quartet recordings on
Last From Lennie's are bursting with creative energy. Taped on April 14, 1965,
Byard is joined by saxophonist
Joe Farrell, bassist
George Tucker, and drummer
Alan Dawson for an adventurous live set. With a couple exceptions -- "After You've Gone/Strolling Along," and the obscure "King David" -- everything here clocks in at over nine minutes, leaving plenty of space for the band to explore the far edges of each piece. There are eight- and nine-minute versions of "Dolphy," a kinetic, off-kilter ode that recalls, though never imitates,
Charles Mingus, with whom both
Byard and
Dolphy had played.
Farrell's solo work takes some uncharted turns here, with the rest of the band pushing him on as
Byard shouts out directions. Finally, one wouldn't want to miss the nine-minute medley of "Tea for Two," "Lover," "Strolling Along," "Cherokee," and "Shiny Stockings," all played at a marvelously mad pace. The interplay between all partners also brings forth great things from
Tucker and
Dawson, topping off an intense, fiery set. Like all good vault releases,
Last From Lennie's reminds listeners of just how good
Byard and his bandmates were. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.