Quincy Jones & Bill Cosby
Original Jam Sessions
(Concord CCD 2257-2)
As musical director of the original Cosby Show, Quincy Jones assembled a phenomenal cast of musicians. As is the way with TV, much of what they recorded was never used, so this is its first airing. With people of the calibre of Milt Jackson, Ray Brown and Monty Alexander on hand, Jones found that he could virtually just wind them up and let them go and tidy up the result later. Sometimes, things went so well that even tidying-up seemed unnecessary. It's certainly a happy noise, ferociously well-played, and typical of its time, the late-1960s. A particularly fascinating track is a short organ piece by Jimmy Smith, which is perhaps his only completely solo recording. Bill Cosby's sole audible contribution consists of a version of the show's theme tune, scatted in a variety of silly voices.
Michael Garrick
Troppo
(Universal 986 689 2)
In the wake of Radio 1 DJ Gilles Peterson's collection, Impressed 2, Universal has embarked on an ambitious programme of reissues, under the series title Impressed Re-pressed, devoted to unearthing the best British jazz from around 30 years ago. This superb album, made in 1974, certainly deserves the attention. Garrick was, and still is, a hugely original and talented composer. He has a great instinct for picking exactly the right players and weaving their individual styles into a patchwork that is entirely his own. Some very strong musical personalities are involved here, notably saxophonist Art Themen, vocalist Norma Winstone and veteran bassist Coleridge Goode, and they all excel. The excitement and sense of being involved in something new and open-ended comes over very strongly.
Teddy Wilson
Flawless Swing
(Ocium OCM 0043)
The term 'flawless' is scarcely strong enough to describe Wilson's mastery of the piano. The idea he would falter, let alone make a mistake, was unthinkable. These 27 tracks, dating from the early Fifties, catch him in marvellous form, his famed precision and elegance warmed by an eager and unhesitating swing. It is said that he carried in his head every tune in the American songbook. He certainly pulls out a choice selection here, including the rare and beautiful 'Just Like a Butterfly'.
