This is a very unusual date by
Ray Nance, as he sticks exclusively to violin with an occasional vocal. Accompanied by either
Jaki Byard or Roland Hanna on piano, the shifting supporting cast also includes guitarists
Tiny Grimes and
Tommy Lucas, and tenor saxophonist
Brew Moore.
Nance swings like mad through "Get Happy" with some hot licks from
Grimes and
Lucas, and delivers a poignant "Body and Soul" in a duet with Hanna. Some of the pop tunes from the 1960s fare less well, especially the rather monotonous "Sunny" and an uninspired arrangement of the gospel tune "Oh Happy Day." The two tracks from the
Duke Ellington-
Billy Strayhorn songbook are the album's highlights. "Guitar Amour" (which strangely omitted guitar in the many renditions of it by
Ellington) has a gypsy flavor. But the masterpiece of this long unavailable LP is
Nance's dirge-like duet with Hanna of "Take the 'A' Train" (which
Nance had earlier performed at
Strayhorn's memorial service); it is difficult not to be moved by this emotional arrangement, which contrasts starkly with typical recordings of it.