George Wein is best known as the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival in 1954 and an enthusiastic impresario who became instrumental in jump-starting jazz festivals in New York City in the early '70s, but
Wein has also recorded as a pianist and singer from time to time. The Atlantic LP
Wein, Women and Song features
Wein in fine form; his friendly sounding vocals are rather soft and mellow, with a bit of vibrato on the end of nearly every phrase, though the trumpet solos by either
Ruby Braff (trading licks with tenor saxophonist
Sammy Margolis on a superb treatment of "You're Lucky to Me") or
Bobby Hackett (with fine muted backgrounds on the melancholy "I'm Through with Love") add something special to each song.
Wein's consistent ability to put together swinging groups of all-stars to accompany his concerts and occasional recordings can't be discounted, so this entertaining album shouldn't disappoint anyone familiar with
George Wein's somewhat sporadic but long career as a performer.