Mary Lou Williams & the Trumpet Giants [Extra tracks, Import]

Mary Lou Williams | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 13, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks, Import
• Label: Lone Hill Jazz
• ASIN: B0002UJKKY
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #557,941 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Love for Sale

2. Auntumn Leaves

3. Caravan

4. Jitterbug Waltz

5. Willow, Weep for Me

6. Birks' Works

7. My Man

8. Ballads Medley: Willow, Weep for Me/I Don't Know ...

9. Jam Session [*]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mary Lou, Dizzy and Bobby -- Plus Little Jazz and Oscar!, June 3, 2005

By 

Steve Emerine (Tucson, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Lou Williams & the Trumpet Giants (Audio CD)

This is a GREAT jazz find at a very reasonable price, presenting the only known joint recordings of pianist Mary Lou Williams and trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Bobby Hackett. Bassist George Duvivier and drummer Grady Tate completed the quintet for this Jan. 31, 1971, gig at the Overseas Press Club in New York City. As if the seven standards from that session weren't enough, Lone Hill Jazz has tossed in a ballad medley and jam session featuring Gillespie with Oscar Peterson, Roy Eldridge, Flip Phillips, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, Louie Bellson and Bill Harris from a 1955 date in Berlin to bring the album's length up to 73.5 minutes of once-in-a-lifetime jazz. Great performers, great tunes and incredible spontaneity make this a must for any serious jazz collection.

4.0 out of 5 stars Listen up, boys. Mary Lou's in charge!, April 29, 2009

By 

James E. Kiely "Jim Kiely" (Medford, Massachusetts United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mary Lou Williams & the Trumpet Giants (Audio CD)

Mary Lou Williams is without doubt one of the greatest and most under-appreciated jazz pianists this country has ever had. That is a strong statement when you consider that the history of jazz pianists includes the likes of Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Erroll Garner, Thelonius Monk, Art Tatum, Bill Evans and Herbie Hancock. In this album Williams shines like the sun while, for whatever reason, Dizzy Gillespie, Bobby Hackett and Don Williams stumble over each other through the first three tracks - miscuing, clashing and badly orienting themselves toward their microphones.

Go, Mary Lou, go! She's firmly in charge of the music and her talent throughout the album and manages to lead her partners back to the path on track four, an amazingly well-arranged version of "Jitterbug Waltz." On track three, she swings "Caravan" and injects it with enough soul to get the audience to its feet and whoop and holler with approval. (If it were included in Aretha Franklin's "Soul '69" it would not sound at all out of place!)

Suffice it to say that this album is a prime example of Williams' colossal talent and the calm, free, exuberance of her playing. If it weren't for the boys fumbling around for the first 15 minutes, I'd give the album five stars. For Williams fans, however, the album's a necessity not just because of her playing, but also because of her perseverance and ability to lead the quartet out of the woods.

While you're at it, also buy "Mary's Idea," "Zodiac Suite" and "Solo Recital." And, oh, get the original vinyl if you can.