Blues In Trinity, AOTW.11th - 18th

[The Rep]

Dizzy Reece - Blues in Trinity (click to buy)

This is an amazing album when you consider the circumstances of the recording. The English-based Reece was playing in Paris at the time, and he assembled a sextet by inlisting the help of two british musicians on holiday there at the time, Tubby Hayes (tenor saxophone) and Terry Shannon (piano), visiting American stars Donald Byrd (trumpet) and Art Taylor (drums), and Canadian bassist Lloyd Thompson, who was playing in Paris with Zoot Sims. Although the band was thrown together, there's a definite spark to this combo, which interacts as if it had been playing together for a long time. Through the album, Reece is deffinately the front man with his robust playing. That's why Blues in Trinity rises above the level of standard hard bop albums and becomes something special. I also love Tubby Hayes version of Round About Midnight.

[Parkertown]

I love the opening salvo of the first track: Bom bom bom bom bom baaaaaaaaaaah! And that rhythm track for this song is just so cool.

What is that? A stroll? A march?

Love this one...

Edited June 11, 2006 by Parkertown

[BruceH]

I'll have to dig this out... I remember liking it a lot. I'll get back to ya.

[ep1str0phy]

Count me among the fans--Blues in Trinity is (IMO) one of the finest Brit jazz albums of all time (and, perhaps, one of the key Blue Notes, however neglected). The title track, again, is a classic; the three different time 'feels' would come across as a little gimmicky if not for the quality of the musicianship (everyone just smokes--but Art Taylor really earned my love on this one... I mean, going from this to a sideman spot with Frank Wright--damn). The whole album is gold, but people seldom mention Tubby Hayes's feature spot on ''Round Midnight'--just beautiful. There's a lot of class to these proceedings, but a lot of heart/soul, too.

[sidewinder]

If my memory is right, wan't this one recorded in London by Tony Hall of Tempo Records? I seem to recall it involved some skullduggery in bribing a caretaker/janitor guy to get the use of the studio for a few hours (presumably CTS Studios in Wembley).

The 'recorded in Paris' story was white-wash to keep the English Musicians Union happy.

Edited June 12, 2006 by sidewinder

[Kalo]

Great choice!

The title track is a favorite of mine. I agree about Tubby's "Round Midnight," too.

[Parkertown]

If my memory is right, wan't this one recorded in London by Tony Hall of Tempo Records? I seem to recall it involved some skullduggery in bribing a caretaker/janitor guy to get the use of the studio for a few hours (presumably CTS Studios in Wembley).

The 'recorded in Paris' story was white-wash to keep the English Musicians Union happy.

Yep!

[The Rep]

If my memory is right, wan't this one recorded in London by Tony Hall of Tempo Records? I seem to recall it involved some skullduggery in bribing a caretaker/janitor guy to get the use of the studio for a few hours (presumably CTS Studios in Wembley).

The 'recorded in Paris' story was white-wash to keep the English Musicians Union happy.

Very interesting, I did not know anything about this.

Edited June 13, 2006 by The Rep

[BruceH]

Count me among the fans--Blues in Trinity is (IMO) one of the finest Brit jazz albums of all time (and, perhaps, one of the key Blue Notes, however neglected). The title track, again, is a classic; the three different time 'feels' would come across as a little gimmicky if not for the quality of the musicianship (everyone just smokes--but Art Taylor really earned my love on this one... I mean, going from this to a sideman spot with Frank Wright--damn). The whole album is gold, but people seldom mention Tubby Hayes's feature spot on ''Round Midnight'--just beautiful. There's a lot of class to these proceedings, but a lot of heart/soul, too.

What he said!

[milestones20]

Have this one on the Reece Mosaic Select...it's too bad that he didn't get more recognition, he could play his a** off!

[ep1str0phy]

Have this one on the Reece Mosaic Select...it's too bad that he didn't get more recognition, he could play his a** off!

Agreed... and (just because I've been listening to him here and there over the past few days) Reece could play pretty well in advanced contexts, too. Dig his work on Passing Ships--right up with Woody Shaw. He could not only cut--he could step out a bit, too.

Edited June 13, 2006 by ep1str0phy

[BruceH]

Have this one on the Reece Mosaic Select...it's too bad that he didn't get more recognition, he could play his a** off!

Agreed... and (just because I've been listening to him here and there over the past few days) Reece could play pretty well in advanced contexts, too. Dig his work on Passing Ships--right up with Woody Shaw. He could not only cut--he could step out a bit, too.

I love his work on Flight To Jordan too.

[clifford_thornton]

Much love for Dizzy Reece here...

This is a great album and a perfect introduction to his committed and wide-ranging work.

[JohnS]

If my memory is right, wan't this one recorded in London by Tony Hall of Tempo Records? I seem to recall it involved some skullduggery in bribing a caretaker/janitor guy to get the use of the studio for a few hours (presumably CTS Studios in Wembley).

The 'recorded in Paris' story was white-wash to keep the English Musicians Union happy.

Tony Hall was almost a British Alfred Lion, producing some of the very best UK hard bop sessions, I think he deserves some credit for this date.

This is a fine album, everyone plays well, a fine set of compositions, plenty of variety. Well up to Blue Note standards.

[paul secor]

Listened to this recently, so I figured I'd revive a ten year old thread.

The most impressive aspect of this record is Dizzy Reece's playing. He was a new name (at least to American listeners) making his first record for a U.S. label, and he carried it off beautifully. His playing is completely relaxed and assured. I was also impressed by Art Taylor's (the "veteran" on the date, though he was actually only 29 at the time) drumming. I put this up there  with some of his best playing. Terry Shannon plays some nice figures behind the soloists.

For me, the weak point of the album is Donald Byrd. It almost sounds as if he was out to show the British musicians how it should be done, and he ended up overplaying and forcing things. Tubby Hayes' playing at times sounds a bit overplayed, but he may have been trying to make a reputation for himself, which was not the case with Byrd. And Hayes' version of "Round About Midnight" is a very good one.

I enjoyed the tunes on the record also.

It's surprising that Dizzy Reece never became a bigger name in the U.S. He certainly had the playing ability to make it.

 

Edited September 5, 2016 by paul secor