Back in Cincinnati on August 2, 1949,
Earl Bostic cut four dynamite sides for the King label. This session, essentially a sequel to the one that occurred in New York on May 28th (see Classics 5022, the
1948-1949 volume in the
Bostic chronology), resulted in music of exceptional warmth and passionate intensity.
Lowell "Count" Hastings blew a fine tenor sax, and sitting in at the piano was
Ben Webster's brother
Rufus. A worthy guitarist is audible on these sides, but no guitar is listed in the enclosed discography. The next step in the
Bostic story took him back to New York, where beginning in 1950 trumpeter and vibraphonist
Gene Redd would add a special ingredient that came to characterize
Bostic's sound for years to come. The mixture of cool vibes and hot alto worked well and sold records. A florid "Serenade" is based on a theme by
Franz Schubert and
Franz Lehár's Merry Widow gets a run around the block, but most of the tunes are either jazz/pop standards or
Bostic originals. After bassist
Keter Betts introduces "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams," the band sings most of the lyrics, always leaving it to
Betts to finish the melodic line and eventually polish the whole tune off as a fine feature for plucked upright bass. "Way Down" sounds a lot like a
Wynonie Harris jump tune and "Don't You Do It" consists of an incendiary exchange between
Bostic's alto and
"Count" Hastings' tenor.
Jimmy Cobb became
Bostic's drummer in January 1951, adding an extra dimension to the band on
Earl's smoldering treatment of "The Moon Is Low." The other noteworthy addition to the band at this time was
Clyde Terrell, a vocalist who emulated
Billy Eckstine on the ballads and tried to cut
Joe Turner with "Chains of Love." This segment of the
Earl Bostic chronology concludes with
Terrell imitating
Peppermint Harris as he proudly sings "I got loaded, oh I sure got high!"