Honeybuns, by Duke Pearson

[Peter Johnson]

While checking out another artist on AMG, I ran across the listing for this 1965 Pearson recording, which appears to have been reissued in 1998:

I've never even heard of this. But check out the lineup:

Pepper Adams - Clarinet, Saxophone, Sax (Baritone)

George Coleman - Saxophone, Sax (Tenor)

Johnny Coles - Trumpet

Duke Pearson - Piano, Trumpet

Les Spann - Flute

James Spaulding - Saxophone, Sax (Alto)

Bob Cranshaw - Bass

Garnett Brown - Trombone

Who's heard it? What do you think?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Peter

[jazzbo]

My two cents. . . I like it. . .mostly a blowing session I would say. it has received mixed reviews from others on the boards. The stereo is of the extreme left and right variety, the sound is so so overall. . . some good solos. . . not exactly a fully realized session; could probably have used more rehearsal. "Prairie Dog" also on Atlantic I like a hair more.

If you're a Pearson fan, you probably won't be disappointed.

[mikeweil]

Coles, Spaulding and Coleman are the main soloists besides Pearson. Mickey Roker's in fine form on it, too. (Peter Jophnson forgot to mention him.)

The sound is one of the examples of extreme left/right stereo in Atlantic's catalogue .....

jazzbo is right, if you like Pearson (and Coles, in particular) you will dig this. But this was no blowing session, just as much writing as on Duke's Blue Note's - the more polished Van Gelder sound just makes this more obvious. I waited for decades for it to be reissued. Had a Duke Pearson day recently, played all of his Blue Note CDs, no surprise it was a nice day ....

[jazzbo]

Guess you are right that it has plenty of writing, but to me it has more of a "blowing session" feel to it than the Blue Notes, but that's just me, and it wasn't meant as a diss.

[Rooster_Ties]

I've got it on CD, and think that it is a pretty good session. Not super great, but probably just as good as Pearson's "average" BN sessions (whichever ones you think are average).

I like it, but I don't consider it a "must have" purchase. Get it if you find it used, for sure, but don't pay a ton for it on eBay or anything crazy like that.