Gigi Gryce had a short but productive career, which lasted roughly a decade before he abruptly left jazz in the early 1960s to become a teacher. This compilation of unissued performances is an important addition to his legacy, particularly the 1961 Birdland broadcast, which features the working band he used for his Rat Race Blues album (pianist
Richard Wyands, trumpeter Richard Williams, bassist Julian Euell, and drummer Mickey Roker), plus the addition of vibraphonist
Eddie Costa (who died tragically in a car wreck the following year). Beginning with an extended workout of Norman Mapp's "Blues in Bloom" (though it is actually a modal work, not a blues), the sextet's loping treatment is full of inventive solos.
Gryce tackles "A Night in Tunisia" at a brisk clip, taking a sparkling two chorus solo, while also featuring each member of the band in turn. The sextet is also heard in two studio tracks from 1961, a brief "Blues in Bloom" and
Gryce's sassy blues "Doin' the Gigi" (also known as "Strange Feeling"). The credits have been lost to another studio date with Williams and
Wyands, though the bassist and drummer are unknown. The introduction of
Gryce's setting of "Take the 'A' Train" transforms the famous theme from a subway to a locomotive, showcasing Williams and
Wyands before the leader opens his solo with a humorous, unexpected quote from "Dixie."
Gryce's ballad playing is the highlight of "I'll Walk Alone" (a Sammy Cahn-Jule Styne piece from a '40s film), with a fine open horn solo by Williams and muted work behind the saxophonist at the conclusion.
A 1957 TV broadcast is the source of several performances, featuring
Gryce leading a band with baritone saxophonist
Cecil Payne, pianist
Duke Jordan, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer
Art Taylor. They are all fairly concise due to the time constraints of the television program, but they hint at the strengths of the quintet. Stand-out tracks include the abbreviated version of
Gryce's brisk "Movin'," and a midtempo rendition of the standard "There'll Never Be Another You." The detailed liner notes by Noel Cohen and Michael Fitzgerald, which were adapted from their biography of
Gigi Gryce, plus the numerous photos, are added bonuses to this valuable collection of essential bop. ~ Ken Dryden