This is one of my favorite albums. It’s very high quality piano trio jazz. And it features one of my favorite double bassists in Henry Grimes. Also, it’s one of my very best sounding albums. It sounds absolutely amazing.
As far as piano trios goes I hold the classic Bill Evans trio the highest, but then this trio is staking it’s claim on second place. I hold the Tommy Flanagan effort ”Overseas” on Prestige very high as well. There’s a lot of other very good piano trio albums that I haven’t completely absorbed yet. But so far the album on display here is, for me, one of the best I’ve heard.
All the tunes are very enjoyable. It’s a very nice mix of tunes. The personnel is fabulous. McCoy Tyner is so lyrical in his playing, and plays with such ease and feeling. Roy Haynes on drums is wonderful and he has such a nice drum sound here. He plays very delicate and I love his style. The cymbals sounds like heavenly chimes. The snare work is exceptionally good as well. And then we have the double bass. Henry Grimes… can’t find the words really. He’s one of my top three jazz bassists. When I got into jazz for real it started when I saw an old black and white concert of Sonny Rollins playing in Sweden on Swedish television together with Joe Harris and Henry Grimes. Sonny was up for the Polar Music Prize that year, that’s why they showed this concert. The young, modest bassist caught my attention. He was just so cool but at the same time looking very sweet. Total control on his instrument. He just made it look so easy standing there playing this big old double bass. I’ve loved him from that moment on. I also saw him on a YouTube clip later, with him playing with Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer and Dave Bailey. To be honest, I haven’t explored all of his work as of yet (far from it), but the stuff I’ve heard him play, especially on ”Reaching Fourth”, and the whole back history he has when he was lost and found together with my first encounter with him playing with Sonny Rollins just makes him special to me. Love his style and sound.
If you dig piano trios, then this is definitely one to pick up. And a 1st pressing doesn’t cost an absolute fortune. That’s one of the great benefits of the Impulse! label.
Have a great week folks. Stay tuned. Cheers…!