Paul Gonsalves' "Cookin'"

[Larry Kart]

Some very nice 1956-'57 Gonsalves here:

http://www.amazon.com/Cookin-Paul-Gonsalves/dp/B0010T4C6I/ref=sr_1_3?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1366678433&sr=1-3&keywords=paul+gonsalves+fresh+sound

Combines his part of an Emarcy anthology, his own Argo album and an Argo album led by Jimmy Woode, all dates with Clark Terry, who contributes several handsome pieces to Paul's Argo album. That album also includes the rather eccentric Chicago pianist Willie Jones, who sounds like Milt Buckner on acid.

Willie Jones info:

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/wiljo.html

And there's a picture of Betty Dupree there.

[king ubu]

I've got the old Universal twofer w/Terry's weird "Out on a Limb" (more nutty Willie Jones there).

How good is the other stuff on the Fresh Sound? Good enough to still get it?

[Larry Kart]

I've got the old Universal twofer w/Terry's weird "Out on a Limb" (more nutty Willie Jones there).

How good is the other stuff on the Fresh Sound? Good enough to still get it?

It's all good so far, with the possible exception of "Festival," a track that attempts to recreate the excitement of Paul's Newport solo, and another track from the Emarcy date that's too fast for Paul's comfort. "Festival" goes on too long, but even so it has its moments. The mellower tracks have some gorgeous Gonsalves. And again there are some nice Terry originals.

[jlhoots]

I've got the old Universal twofer w/Terry's weird "Out on a Limb" (more nutty Willie Jones there).

How good is the other stuff on the Fresh Sound? Good enough to still get it?

That's the one I have too.

It's enough for me (just pulled it out & listened to the whole thing).

[mikeweil]

Whenever Gonsalves was comparatively straightened out and inspired, he was up there with the best of them. I think the Impulse albums are notch better than the Argos.

[mracz]

Yes, the Terry/Gonsalves is very good. Willie Jones is astonishing (my favourite solo is on Funky). I can't think of anyone else in the 50's working in quite this direction. The on-line discography is depressing in that he seems to have recorded very little. Does anyone know if any of his other recordings are available anywhere/anyhow?

[Niko]

didn't try spotify but on simfy (which has a similar selection) you can hear the Buster Bennett and Tom Archia sessions as well as most of those Doo-Wop Sessions... copies of the Archia and Bennett Classics CDs are not hard to find (both are fine collections although there isn't much Willie Jones in either), and then there's of course the Clark Terry album without Gonsalves from a few days earlier:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B000024AA9/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

(twofer with both)

[mracz]

Thanks for pointing me in these directions. I'll do some Spotify searching over the coming days and weeks. A genuine original!