Some of the material on this two-LP set has since been reissued on the CD
Young Jug, but this one is quite definitive of
Gene Ammons's early years. All 24 of his Chess recordings are here, including a couple of tenor battles with
Tom Archia, the cheerful "Swingin' for Xmas," some warm ballad renditions (including "My Foolish Heart" and "You Go to My Head"), and boppish stomps that also hint strongly at rhythm and blues. His flexibility and distinctive tone are very much in evidence throughout this well-conceived reissue.