Customer Reviews

Sound of the Wide Open Spaces

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Texas, the state known for its "wide open spaces," is also known for producing great saxophonists, most notably Ornette Coleman, Illinois Jacquet, Arnett Cobb and Booker Ervin, but also the underrated James Clay and David "Fathead" Newman. When "Cannonball" Adderley began producing for the Riverside label, he made it a point to record the less recognized of his colleagues. As was the case with Don Wilkerson's "The Texas Twister" (see my review), Adderley brought in a superb rhythm trio to support tenormen Clay and Newman on this April 26, 1960 session -- Wynton Kelly on piano, Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums. "Sound of the Wide Open Spaces" is an all standard affair with the Babs Gonzales penned title track and "What's New," which showcases Clay on flute, the disc's strongest moments. "Wide Open Spaces" is a solid post-bop album, and being that the disc is a 2002 release, I'm delighted to see that there are still gems in the OJC vaults to be reissued.

The usual word on James Clay (my introduction to the rough and tough, raw and ready sound of titanic tenor players from Texas) was that he came to the West Coast in 1960 and proceeded to record two albums: the present session, on which he spars vigorously and inventively with Fathead Newman, and a second album entitled "A Double Dose of Soul," on which he shares frontline duties with cornetist Nat Adderley. But the better bet is his debut, "Tenorman," made for the tiny Jazz West label in 1956. On this latter date, Clay gets all the major solo time, accompanied only by a Sonny Clark-led rhythm section.

"Tenorman" is usually overlooked for several reasons, including the obscure label and confusion about the leader and featured performer of the session. Larance Marable is today perhaps no more familiar to followers of the music than is James Clay (at least, James is more likely to have his first name spelled accurately). But in 1956 the drummer was the unofficial "producer" of the session and the better-known name. Accordingly, the album was released under his name, the unfortunate consequence of which was the virtual disappearance of the album in the ensuing years.

If you can't find "Tenorman" (and at an affordable price--I've noticed two different, equally pricey packagings of the album on Amazon), "Sound of the Wide Open Spaces" is far from a distant second. Nor, for that matter, is the album that Clay would make 30 years later when he resurfaced in New York City only to be rediscovered by Billie Higgins. The drummer saw to it that Clay got a new set of teeth as well as a horn (presumably a Selmer Mark VI), and the result was a fine album, "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart." Featuring just Clay with a rhythm section of Higgins, David Williams and Cedar Walton, it makes a perfect bookend to the quartet album from 30 years previous.

[Note: Amazon Downloads reports that "Tenorman" will be available on Dec. 1, 2011. From Clay's opening solo on "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," rough-hewn and occasionally ragged but persistently purposeful and melodic, a listener is apt to be seduced into downloading or purchasing the entire album. Some bonus cuts with bassist Red Mitchell and the late pianist Lorraine Geller are included on the forthcoming, new edition.]