Bop pianist
Al Haig was unfortunately overlooked, with few opportunities to record for a long stretch in the middle of his career. Fortunately, this Original Jazz Classics compilation highlights several sessions recorded between 1949 and 1954 for Period. The first eight tracks feature bassist
Bill Crow and drummer
Lee Abrams, where
Haig's light touch is especially of interest. A number of these pieces were recorded by
Art Tatum, but
Haig puts his own stamp on them, inserting a humorous bit of "Sing, Sing, Sing!" into an easygoing "Taboo" (to contrast with
Tatum's showstopping virtuoso arrangement) and offering a rambunctious bop treatment of "Just You, Just Me" as a quicky. Four tracks feature
Haig in a group with tenor saxophonist
Wardell Gray and guitarist
Jimmy Raney, with vocalist
Terry Swope scatting in unison on two of them. Best is
Haig's potent original "In a Pinch."
Stan Getz is present (along with
Raney) on the last four selections, including a breezy take of
Haig's "Skull Buster" (a transparent reworking of "[Back Home Again In] Indiana") and the pianist's lighthearted "Poop Deck." Released as a limited-edition reissue in 2000, bop fans are advised not to tarry if interested in this excellent compilation of
Al Haig's early recorded efforts.