During the last dozen years of his life before passing away in 1969, clarinetist
Pee Wee Russell recorded and performed in a variety of surprisingly modern settings. It was not that
Russell was not modern himself, for his eccentric style had long been quite distinctive, but he had previously been content to mostly play in freewheeling Dixieland bands. His encounters with valve trombonist
Marshall Brown (who provided him with an advanced repertoire and arrangements) and a 1963 Newport Jazz Festival appearance with
Thelonious Monk found
Russell stretching himself. The two albums that are reissued in full on this 1999 CD are not quite as adventurous, being essentially small-group swing, which was still a bit ahead of
Eddie Condon's bands.
Russell and trumpeter
Buck Clayton make for a perfectly compatible team on the 1960 date, a relaxed and swinging quintet session with pianist
Tommy Flanagan, bassist
Wendell Marshall, and drummer
Osie Johnson. The other set has basic arrangements from pianist
Nat Pierce, quiet support from bassist
Tommy Potter and drummer
Karl Kiffe, and
Russell is joined by three of his favorite horn players (trumpeter
Ruby Braff, trombonist
Vic Dickenson, and tenor saxophonist
Bud Freeman). One can fully understand why the clarinetist was quite pleased with both of these albums. His playing is much more consistent and comfortable on the mid-tempo material than usual and he mostly gets to avoid the overly hyper Dixieland warhorses. A gem.