This 1961 large-band jazz date places
Jimmy Witherspoon on the Reprise label in the company of some heavy hitters --
Teddy Edwards on saxophone,
Gerald Wilson on trumpet,
Gerald Wiggins on piano, trombonist
Herbie Harper, bassist Jimmy Bond, and guitarist
Al Viola -- just to name a few. The program on
Spoon, of course, is mostly standards, with
Witherspoon doing a wondrous job in his readings of "Lover Come Back to Me," "Ain't Misbehavin," "It Only Happens Once," and "A Blues Serenade." In addition, his takes on
Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light," "Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear from Me," and "Just a Sittin' and a Rockin'" are startling interpretations. The arrangements here, by
Bob Florence, are colorful, and just large enough to highlight
Witherspoon's open baritone. The contrast between the orchestra's pop-jazz leanings and
Witherspoon's bluesy swing are sometimes hair-raising. The strange reverb sound that comes across in Collectables' CD remaster is a bit irritating, but this is the only way this brilliant session is available on compact disc. This is one of those recordings that offers a true starting point for the mature
Witherspoon at the absolute top of his powers as a song interpreter and singer supported by a deeply sympathetic orchestra. ~ Thom Jurek