The talented David
Newman, who alternates on this album between tenor and alto, made his debut as a leader at this session. Since he was in
Ray Charles' band at the time,
Newman was able to use
Charles on piano along with
Hank Crawford (here called "
Bennie Crawford") on baritone, trumpeter
Marcus Belgrave, bassist
Edgar Willis, and drummer
Milt Turner. The music is essentially soulful bebop, with the highlights including "Hard Times," "Fathead," "Mean to Me," and "Tin Tin Deo." Everyone plays well and this was a fine start to
David "Fathead" Newman's career. This historic set was issued on CD by Collectables in 2005. ~ Scott Yanow