Lucky Meets Tommy

[DrJ]

I generally avoid releases from the Fresh Sound conglomerate...but sometimes I cave, when I feel there's almost zero chance that the material is ever going to get a proper, non-gray market reissue. So I caved with LUCKY MEETS TOMMY, and I'm glad I did. This is Lucky Thompson playing both tenor and soprano, 2 sessions from around 1965 with Tommy Flanagan on piano, I think originally out on the Rivoli (???) label. The transfer is certainly quite listenable but not great, but the music is wonderful.

What distinguishes this date for me is the chemistry between Lucky and Flanagan. This was an IDEAL pairing, the level of lyricism at times is almost unbearably high. It's like listening to two great wordless singers weave lines around each other. The version of "Willow Weep for Me" on the first session may be the greatest I've ever heard, right up there with the Turrentine/3 Sounds version on BLUE HOUR.

Until now I thought Martial Solal was the ideal pianist for Lucky, but no longer. The only other musician other than Flanagan that seemed to have such a high level of chemistry with Lucky was Milt Jackson - those Savoy recordings of theirs I've also been revisiting lately would be near the top of the crate for the proverbial desert island.

Other random thoughts and questions spurred by the LUCKY MEETS TOMMY CD:

1) Did Branford Marsalis consciously cop Lucky's soprano sound, or was it a coincidence? You be the judge.

2) Why hasn't Mosaic done Lucky justice by gathering up these various small label recordings (e.g. these Rivoli's, his Urania recording with Pettiford, maybe some others) and giving them a proper, legit reissue in good sound and with adequate documentation? Maybe as a Select? I e-mailed them again with this suggestion, but I'm not holding my breath.

3) Is there anything as sublime as Lucky playing a ballad?

Edited October 29, 2004 by DrJ

[Dan Gould]

The version of "Willow Weep for Me" on the first session may be the greatest I've ever heard, right up there with the Turrentine/3 Sounds version on BLUE HOUR.

Well this certainly gets the former GHF's notice.

But I have to ask, Tony, is this because the Lucky-Tommy version is similarly soulful or because its just similarly breath-taking?

BTW, I love each pic of your son more than the last!

[Clunky]

3) Is there anything as sublime as Lucky playing a ballad?

No

[Shrdlu]

Lucky Thompson, soprano to boot, and Tommy Flanagan. Now that would be nice to hear!

A perhaps similar one for you, Tony: "Lucky Strikes" (Prestige), with Hank Jones, Richard Davis and Connie Kay. (1964)

[mikeweil]

... and the Prestige twofer CD Happy Days, which combines two LPs with either Hank Jones or Tommy Flanagan.

Of course my answers to question 3 is a clear NO!!!

[mikeweil]

1) Did Branford Marsalis consciously cop Lucky's soprano sound, or was it a coincidence? You be the judge.

2) Why hasn't Mosaic done Lucky justice by gathering up these various small label recordings (e.g. these Rivoli's, his Urania recording with Pettiford, maybe some others) and giving them a proper, legit reissue in good sound and with adequate documentation? Maybe as a Select? I e-mailed them again with this suggestion, but I'm not holding my breath.

3) Is there anything as sublime as Lucky playing a ballad?

ad 1) Branford always admitted Lucky's influence

ad 2) The Urania sessions are quite different, in a rather traditional swing style, and both available from Fresh Sound (but on Lucky's two tracks that were on the original 10" LPs are missing). Stylistically, too diverse for a Mosaic. And too far apart: The Uranias are from 1954, the Rivolis from the mid 1960's with plenty of French and US sessions in between.

I'd say, too much work to get all the licenses. Some of the French material still has to be reissued on CD and is extremely rare.

ad 3) again: I doubt there is ...

[ghost of miles]

... and the Prestige twofer CD Happy Days, which combines two LPs with either Hank Jones or Tommy Flanagan.

Of course my answers to question 3 is a clear NO!!!

Yes! OMG, I was about to recommend that Thompson CD in this forum, in part because of the beautiful Lucky/Tommy chemistry... it's been spinning a lot in my player the past 2 days. Must be in the air, eh?

[DrJ]

Gratifying to see such a nice response to this great music!

Dan - I think this version of "Willow" is breathtaking in a different way than the Turrentine/Harris version. Less overtly "soulful" but simply beautiful, again in struggling for words to come up with "lyrical" keeps popping up. I hate to get too carried away with the comparison thing though because the two versions are in fact so different - and I love both. Thanks for the nice comments about Alex's pics - I hope to udpate soon, he's actually quite a bit bigger these days (and just as cute!).

Mike - Interesting to hear that Branford was influenced, I MAY have heard that somewhere and filed it away in my subconscious, but I don't think so - I think I was reacting pretty much to the similarity in sound. It's uncanny at times, although I think ultimately Branford phrases a little more "aggressively" on the soprano - kind of like Ornette Coleman's phrasing crossed with Lucky's tone!?! I actually have the Urania stuff and agree that it's quite different. Still I'm not sure that would exclude Mosaic from doing a collection - they have done some that are all over the map after all. I would just love to hear this stuff with better remastering (assuming they can locate original tapes) and with some decent documentation. But you're probably right, we'll likely never see it. Short of those, even though I have all of the stuff that's out I think a Select of the Milt Jackson/Lucky Thompson stuff on Savoy would make a head-turning collection and that IS a nice unified sounding body of work.

Shrdlu - Yep, I gots LUCKY STRIKES and it's another gem but for some reason at this particular moment I'd give the nod to this Rivoli stuff, it's just got something that is getting to me.

David, that's funny about your plan to recommend HAPPY DAYS, it MUST be in the air. I gotta catch up with HAPPY DAYS pronto, that's one I still don't have.

Edited October 30, 2004 by DrJ

[mikeweil]

Still I'm not sure that would exclude Mosaic from doing a collection - they have done some that are all over the map after all. I would just love to hear this stuff with better remastering (assuming they can locate original tapes) and with some decent documentation. But you're probably right, we'll likely never see it.

I still think it's unlikely - you underestimate the number of sessions Lucky did from the start of the LP era: If I start with his 1953 Deccas I count (sessions, not LPs!):

- 5 as a leader, 13 as a sideman until his first trip to Paris in February 1956

- 14 as a leader, 1 as a sideman in Paris until May 1956 (!!!)

- 2 as a leader, 20 as a sideman in New York until his return to Paris in June 1957

- 4 as a leader, 10 as a sideman in Europe until his return to the U.S. in 1963

- 11 as a leader, 3 as a sideman in Europe and the U.S. until the end of his recording career in 1974, not counting numerous unofficial live reordings.

Where should they start, where should they draw the line? I don't see it. Especially as most (not all) of the Paris recordings was reissued on single CDs over the years.

All of this would add up to about 20 CDs, even if one leaves off the large band dates where he (presumably) did only section work he did at least one solo on any of the orchestra dates he played on. That's a lot of stuff!!!

Short of those, even though I have all of the stuff that's out I think a Select of the Milt Jackson/Lucky Thompson stuff on Savoy would make a head-turning collection and that IS a nice unified sounding body of work.

Let's lobby for this with the new Savoy owners!!! Even if this would not include the two Jackson sessions with Lucky for Atlantic.