AVID Jazz here presents three classic Stan Tracey albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“Stan Tracey Showcase”……..An appropriate title for the first album released in 1958 under his own name by our featured artist Stan Tracey. As you will hear for yourself the album quite literally showcases Stan’s own musical abilities. By the time of its release Stan had become a familiar figure on the British jazz scene. His style had developed via the more left field American pianists Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and the little known and under recorded Herbie Nicholls who recorded only briefly for Blue Note. “Little Klunk”……..Familiar names line up for Stans’s 1959 outing “Little Klunk”….British jazz stalwarts Kenny Napper on bass and Phil Seamen on drums join Stan for this small group get together. The album features all Tracey originals and Stan shows off his prowess not only on piano but also on vibes………nice! To sum up from the original album liner notes…” Listen, and listen well, this is not music to chatter to”. “Jazz Inc”……”Swinging music in the modern manner, directed by Tony Crombie”……so goes the sub heading to this 1959 recording by The Tony Crombie Orchestra, a band that would go on to perform for just seventeen weeks during that year. Commercially, possibly a failure but musically definitely a triumph! The band went on to perform 34 dates during its brief lifetime and we can get a flavour of how they sounded on this fine album. Crombie whose baby this band was is joined by established musicians like Stan Tracey and Jimmy Napper alongside newer names such as Bobby Wellins who of course would go on to become one of Britain’s finest jazz men. “Plus”………”Stan Tracey Quartet”………A rare 1959 recording date featuring two of the greatest British jazz stars on the cusp of their greatness……..Stan Tracey and Tubby Hayes joined by old friends Tony Crombie and Kenny Napper…Tubby is featured here exclusively on vibes! “Plus”……..”Harry Klein Quintet – Baritone Sax”……..Stan pops up here having fun with the Harry Klein Quintet featuring the unusual pairing of Klein down low on the baritone sax and Vic Ash up high on the rarely heard clarinet.
All three albums plus have been digitally re-mastered for probably the finest ever sound quality!
CD1
1-12: ‘Stan Tracey Showcase’
1. Almost Like Being In Love
2. Over The Rainbow
3. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
4. I Love Paris
5. The Best Thing For You
6. I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
7. This Nearly Was Mine
8. They Can’t Take That Away From Me
9. I’ve Got Five Dollars
10. Mad About The Boy
11. But Not For Me
12. Love Is
13-20: ‘Little Klunk’
13. Li’l Ol’ Pottsville
14. Dream Of Many Colours
15. Little Klunk
16. Boo-Bah
17. Baby Blue
18. A Walk In The Park
19. We’ll Call You
20. Free
21 Euphony
22. Monument
CD2
1-8: ‘Jazz Inc’
1. Caravan
2. Boo-Bah
3. Lullaby
4. Reelin’
5. Li’l Ol’ Pottsville
6. Jamba
7. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
8. Summertime
9. We’ll Call You
10 The Toff
11. Festival Junction
12. Rapandas
13. Lover
14. Whisper Not
15. If I Should Lose You
16. Ruby My Dear
