Idrees Sulieman

[Larry Kart]

Two CDs, two dates, both from 1959, one from Tangier, where the band had been working for several months, one from New York. Idrees Sulieman, pianist Oscar Dennard, bassist Jamil Nasser, drummer Buster Smith. The remarkable Dennard (b. 1928) would die in Egypt in 1960 of Typhoid Fever. This is by far the best Sulieman I've heard; here he has a Clifford Brown-like fluency and remarkable breath control. For sure he came out Fats but is own man. This was a working group, and it shows.

[Teasing the Korean]

I saw him live in St. Petersburg circa 1980.

[Justin V]

On 3/3/2023 at 7:24 PM, Larry Kart said:

Two CDs, two dates, both from 1959, one from Tangier, where the band had been working for several months, one from New York. Idrees Sulieman, pianist Oscar Dennard, bassist Jamil Nasser, drummer Buster Smith. The remarkable Dennard (b. 1928) would die in Egypt in 1960 of Typhoid Fever. This is by far the best Sulieman I've heard; here he has a Clifford Brown-like fluency and remarkable breath control. For sure he came out Fats but is own man. This was a working group, and it shows.

When you commented on his breath control, it made me think of his circular breathing on The Hawk Flies High. 

[clifford_thornton]

I have the digital promo files from when this set was new. It is indeed really, really excellent and serves as a reminder to actually pick up the CDs.

[Gheorghe]

Jamil Nasser and Buster Smith were among the long list of Americans in Paris. If I remember right, they are on the Dolphy Berlin Concert, I love that album.

I have to very fine Indrees Suliman stuff on "Americans in Europe" where he plays in quintet format with Byas and Bud, and in quartet format without Byas. 

And he is also very fine on the Byas-Bud album "A Tribute to Cannonball" (I never understood the title, since there is no Cannonball related tune on it, or maybe did Cannonball play "Jeannine" ? 

[Larry Kart]

9 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

I have the digital promo files from when this set was new. It is indeed really, really excellent and serves as a reminder to actually pick up the CDs.

 

10 hours ago, Justin V said:

When you commented on his breath control, it made me think of his circular breathing on The Hawk Flies High. 

It's much more effective here because it doesn't stick out like a trick but is integrated into his  lines more or less overall.

[optatio]

[jlhoots]

Is the sound tolerable on this 2 CD set? The usual unreliable sources say it's poor.

[clifford_thornton]

Not poor. Totally fine.

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, clifford_thornton said:

Not poor. Totally fine.

Thanks!!

[Larry Kart]

3 hours ago, clifford_thornton said:

Not poor. Totally fine.

Totally fine.

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, Larry Kart said:

Totally fine.

O.K. - ordered.

[Eric]

On 3/3/2023 at 6:24 PM, Larry Kart said:

Two CDs, two dates, both from 1959, one from Tangier, where the band had been working for several months, one from New York. Idrees Sulieman, pianist Oscar Dennard, bassist Jamil Nasser, drummer Buster Smith. The remarkable Dennard (b. 1928) would die in Egypt in 1960 of Typhoid Fever. This is by far the best Sulieman I've heard; here he has a Clifford Brown-like fluency and remarkable breath control. For sure he came out Fats but is own man. This was a working group, and it shows.

Thanks for the recommendation Larry - looks very interesting.

[JSngry]

The guy always played wonderfully. Always 

[jlhoots]

On 3/8/2023 at 1:35 PM, Larry Kart said:

Totally fine.

The music is fine. I'm no audiophile, but the sound is not good, especially on the New York CD.

 

[Larry Kart]

You're right. Sorry to have misled you.

[jlhoots]

To top it off, the Tangier CD (which sounds better) doesn't track properly in any of my devices. Overall, buyer beware IMHO. Sorry but that's my reality.