Customer Reviews

Jam Session 1

5 star:		(3)
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I HAVE FOLLOWED BUCK CLAYTON'S CAREER FOR MANY YEARS. I HAVE ONE OF THE GREAT JAM SESSION ALBUMS MADE IN 1954 WITH JOE NEWMAN AND THE GREAT PIANIST WITH THE UNLIKELY NAME OF SIR CHARLES THOMPSON, AMONG OTHERS. THIS 1974 VERSION IS IN THE SAME LEAGUE. ALTHOUGH NEWMAN IS ON HAND, CLAYTON HIMSELF PARTICIPATES ONLY AS WRITER AND ARRANGER OF THE WONDERFUL CUTS. HIS TRUMPET IS SORELY MISSED. WONDERFUL SOLOS ARE CONTRUBUTED ON ALL FOUR CUTS BY EARL "FATHA" HINES, ZOOT SIMMS AND ESPECIALLY TROMBONIST URBIE GREEN. EACH JAM SESSION IS STRUCTURED WITH AN OPENING STATEMENT OF THE THEMATIC MATERIAL, FOLLOWED BY LENGTHY SOLOS, HIGHLIGHTED WITH BACKGROUND PHRASES PLAYED BY THE WHOLE GROUP DURING THE SECOND HALF OF EACH SOLO, EXCEPT FOR THE HINES SOLO ON LAZY BLUES DURING WHICH THE OTHER MUSICIANS WERE SO INVOLVED IN LISTENING TO HIS BRILLIANT WORK, THEY ACTUALLY FORGOT TO PLAY THE ACCOMPANYMENT! THE NOTES PROVIDE AN UNFORTUNATELY INACCURATE LIST OF THE SOLO ORDER ON BOSS BLUES, BUT IF YOU KNOW THE STYLE AND TONE OF THESE FAMOUS SIDEMEN YOU CAN FOLLOW THEM WITHOUT ANY TROUBLE. LAZY BLUES AND JAYHAWK ARE ALSO FABULOUS WITH WONDERFUL SOLO WORK. THIS IS MUSIC FOR THE JAZZ ENTHUSIAST WHO VALUES CREATIVE SOLOS WHICH ONE CAN THEMATICALLY RELATE TO WHAT HAS COME BEFORE IN THE MUSIC. UNLIKE MUCH THAT PASSES FOR JAZZ THESE DAYS, ONE CAN ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND IT. I CAN ONLY WISH THAT ALL OF THE 1950'S CLAYTON JAM SESSION RECORDINGS WERE AVAILABLE ON DISC. I RECOMMEND THIS MUSIC HIGHLY, BOTH FOR THE CONTENT OF THE MUSIC AND FOR THE QUALITY OF THE RECORDING, AND AM SURE YOU WILL LOVE IT.

The essence of mid-50s jazz, I've always loved this version of "Blue Moon" the best of all that I've heard. To the best of my knowledge, this IS the original, and we should all be thankful to all who were responsible for executing this wonderful reissue (and at such a reasonable price). I looked off and on for over 30 years for a replacement for the worn LP of this that I gave to a friend, thinking that I'd be able to replace it soon thereafter. I am thankful, also, to Google for locating it for me. I bought it for "Blue Moon"; the others are nice bonuses.

I sorry for useing the review to get the imformation across. I'm Buck Claytons granddaughter and my father is no where to be found and my grandmother died before I was born. All I have is pictures and letters from Buck to Derby. If you can give me some imformation on Buck I would really make and I would happier if you could tell me a little about my grandmother Gladys(Derby)Clayton.

Sincerely,