Although
Tadd Dameron
was a talented pianist, he never considered piano playing his strong point -- the bebopper was best known for his writing and arranging, and when he recorded as a leader (which wasn't all that often),
Dameron
was quite happy to let his sidemen take most of the solos.
can hardly be accused of hogging the solo space on
1947-1949
, a collection of small-group and big-band sides he recorded as a leader for
Blue Note
and
Savoy
, among others, from August 1947-April 1949. The material, most of it superb, falls into two main categories: hard-swinging bop instrumentals and romantic ballads featuring vocalists. On the instrumentals (which include
"Our Delight,"
"Dameronia,"
"The Squirrel,"
"Lady Bird,"
and other
originals), he features some of early bop's heavy-hitting soloists, including trumpeter
Fats Navarro
(a major influence on
Clifford Brown
), tenor saxman
Wardell Gray
, and alto saxman
Ernie Henry
(who, like
Sonny Stitt
, was a
Charlie Parker
disciple but not a clone). And
's romantic side takes over when he features
Kay Penton
(a delightful though underexposed vocalist) on several ballads (including
"What's New"
"Gone With the Wind"
) and employs the
Billy Eckstine
-influenced
Kenny Hagood
on
"I Think I'll Go Away."
Meanwhile, singer
Rae Pearl
(who later went by
Rae Harrison
) provides a wordless vocal on
's dreamy
"Casbah."
Boasting some of
's most essential work, this French release is recommended without hesitation to lovers of early bop. ~ Alex Henderson