Home
Cool Struttin'
Barnes and Noble
Cool Struttin'
Current price: $23.99
Barnes and Noble
Cool Struttin'
Current price: $23.99
Size: CD
Loading Inventory...
*Product information may vary - to confirm product availability, pricing, shipping and return information please contact Barnes and Noble
Recorded in 1958, this legendary date with the still-undersung
in the leader's chair also featured a young
on alto (playing with a smoother tone than he had before or ever did again), trumpeter
, and the legendary rhythm section of bassist
and drummer
, both from the
band. The set begins with one of the preeminent "swinging medium
pieces in
history: the title track with its leveraged fours and eights shoved smoothly up against the walking bass of
and the backbeat shuffle of
.
's solo, with its grouped fifths and sevenths, is a wonder of both understatement and groove, while
' arco solo turns the
in on itself. While there isn't a weak note on this record, there are some other tracks that stand out, most notably
' "Sippin' at Bells," with its loping
rhythm. When
takes his solo against a handful of
's shaded minor chords, he sounds as if he may blow it -- he comes out a little quick -- but he recovers nicely and reaches for a handful of Broadway
to counter the minor mood of the piece. He shifts to both
and
before moving through
, and finally to
himself, riding the margin of the changes to slip just outside enough to add some depth in the middle register. The LP closes with
's "Deep Night," the only number in the batch not rooted in the
. It's a classic
jamming tune and features wonderful solos by
, who plays weird flatted notes all over the horn against the changes, and
, who thinks he's playing a kind of snake charmer
in
tune. This set deserves its reputation for its soul appeal alone. [Some reissues include two bonus tracks: "Royal Flush" and "Lover."] ~ Thom Jurek