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Various: Bop Lives!
ByWho's to complain with Coleman Hawkins' groundbreaking "Woody 'N You," the undistilled bebop of pianist Sir Charles Thompson and Charlie Parker on "Street Beat" and the righteous right hand of Bud Powell circa 1962 on the swinging "Rifftide"? It's always great to hear the redoubtable tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and veteran hard bop pianist Harold Mabern trading choruses on Cecil Payne"s "Cuba." The same can be said for the inspired high-speed solos of tenor Jimmy "Night Train" Forrest, guitarist Grant Green and Mabern (again) on the underrated gem "All The Gin Is Gone." The interesting live version of "Blues Walk" by Donald Byrd, from his debut recording in 1955, shows Byrd and Yusef Lateef firmly in the grip of the bebop language, but it's a strange choice for a collection so obviously geared to those new to the bop genre.
Some liner notes would have been a welcome addition to Bop Lives!, but for that privilege you would have probably had to pay full price.
Track Listing
1. Coleman Hawkins with Dizzy Gillespie---Woody'n You 2. Jimmy Forrest---All The Gin Is Gone 3. Sir Charles Thompson with Charlie Parker---Street Beat 4. Francine Griffin---Anthropology 5. Bud Powell---Rifftide 6. Cecil Payne---Cuba 7. Donald Byrd---Blues Walk 8. Babs Gonzales---Ray's Groove
Personnel
Various
Album information
Title: Bop Lives! | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Delmark Records
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