Customer Reviews

Con Alma

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

to me that this CD is once again out of print. I first purchased it in about 1961 while in the Air Force in the Philippine Islands at Clark AFB. My friends and I spent many hours grooving to this wonderful recording, and when I left for Japan I gave the lp to them as I was sure it would be easily available. Of course it was out of print. About twenty years ago it was briefly reissued by Columbia and I of course bought one. It holds a very high place in my collection of jazz piano recordings. Bryant is a wizard, in my opinion.

If you can find it, this is a must have recording. The title tune is by Dizzy and swings very soulfully. Cubano Chant is another wonderful piece, this time an original by Bryant. The drummer and bassist are terrific, equal members of the trio but at the same time framing the pianist sympathetically. The whole thing swings like mad, in a deliciously delicate way.

This is one of my desert island cds.

Ray Bryant ranks this album, along with his Prestige/New Jazz release ALONE WITH THE BLUES, as his two favorites and who could argue with him: they are both great albums. Bryant is in absolute top form on this disc, and everything works perfectly - even the sound is exceptional (the piano sound is warm and responsive). MILESTONES (everyone knows this from the famous Miles Davis recording) is similar in tempo and format to the Davis, a superb version, with excellent brush work by drummer Mickey Roker. Additional great drumming by Roker can be heard on NUTS AND BOLTS where he interacts splendidly with the melodic line laid down by Bryant. CUBANO CHANT, taken up, is a classy, jaunty tune with a taste of Latin added. AUTUMN LEAVES gets a robust reading, a straight-ahead swinger but with Bryant playing introspectively, too. I love the big fat chords Ray lays down near the end of C JAM BLUES and the overall Erroll Garner feeling this track dishes up. In every way this is a terrific piano trio album, definitely worth having.

This is a rare album by an underrated master.
Bryant's versions of "Con Alma"and "Django" rank with the best; but his
"C Jam Blues" is probably the swingingest ever. The difficult to obtain CD reissue by Columbia is not a bootleg, but it sounds slightly inferior than the original LP. A better reissue with the original cover and a superior sound quality is desired.