Boss Tenor by Gene Ammons

Boss Tenor

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Boss Tenor

Features

Audio CD (July 1, 1991)

Number of Discs: 1

Label: Ojc

Catalog Number: 297

Amazon.com
Tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons had a huge sound, and a Coleman Hawkins-inspired ability to belt the blues and caress the ballads with equal facility. This 1960 session, part of a lengthy series of recordings Ammons made for Prestige, shows off his strengths impressively. His broad-toned reading of the ballad "My Romance" confirms his reputation as the master interpreter nicknamed "Gentle Jug." The superbly-attuned rhythm section of pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins, drummer Arthur Taylor, and congero Ray Barretto offers particularly brilliant support on Eddie Haywood's memorable "Canadian Sunset," the uptempo bop exercise of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation," and the swing classic "(Stomping at the) Savoy." --John Swenson

Reader Reviews
After a two year "forced layoff" (the usual culprit for Gene: drugs), this marked his return album (6/16/60), which would be the first in a long string of albums (22) over the next two years. And it's a terrific one. The great Tommy Flanagan is aboard on piano ("The first time I ever played with him," Flanagan recalled), and the rhythm section is solid (Doug Watkins-b; Art Taylor-d; Ray Barretto-conga). Tempos vary, as does the material. HITTIN THE JUG is a slow blues with good down-home Ammons. BLUE AMMONS is another blues, this time medium tempo. CONFIRMATION, the bop standard, is taken up and features some very relaxed Ammons. MY ROMANCE is taken a tad too slow and could use the double-time chorus, which is missing here, that Gene often employed when doing very slow ballads like this. Flanagan is excellent - I wish there was more of him solo-wise. This is a good return date for Ammons. Definitely worth checking out.

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