Kenny Drew: Kenny Drew Trio

One of many American jazz musicians who made Europe home beginning in the early 1960s, pianist Kenny Drew is best remembered as the pianist on John Coltrane's seminal Blue Train—when he is remembered at all. Over the course of his career, Drew forged notable associations with Dexter Gordon and Jackie McLean, and recorded nearly 50 albums as a leader, most prominently Undercurrent (Blue Note, 1961) and Dark Beauty (SteepleChase, 1974). Passing away at the relatively young age of sixty-four, one can only imagine the further beauty he might have brought into the world had he, like Gordon, returned to the States for a late-career renaissance.

Drew's recording career began with his 1953 debut for Blue Note, and for the next several years he would average roughly an album a year across three different labels before settling in for an extended run with Riverside. The first of a half dozen sides recorded for that label and its Judson subsidiary was the criminally underrated Kenny Drew Trio (1956), featuring Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. One reason this superb album has remained underappreciated may be its historically poor sound quality—a common issue with early Riverside sessions engineered by Jack Higgins. Compared with the luminous work being captured at the time by Rudy Van Gelder or Roy DuNann, Higgins' recordings often fell short of presenting the instruments in their best light.

Having compared Japanese pressings and digital editions, this reviewer can attest to the remarkably fine sound that Craft has achieved on this superb reissue—another hallmark of the label's inspired revival of the OJC imprint. Drummer Jones ignites a striking version of "Caravan" with a frothy Latin pulse, soon joined by Chambers' cavernous bass tone, captured here with unprecedented depth and presence. Drew's block chords gracefully outline the melody of "Come Rain or Come Shine" before he launches into several choruses of swinging, story-like phrasing. Retaining the quirky charm and tender lyricism of Thelonious Monk's "Ruby, My Dear," Drew still makes the tune unmistakably his own, rounding out side one with "Weird-O," an exuberant showcase of his agility and fleet touch.

The flipside opens with "Taking a Chance on Love," gaining momentum through the forward drive of Drew's extended phrases. Chambers contributes a typically fine solo before giving way to a lively exchange of fours between Drew and Jones. The often overly sentimental "When You Wish Upon a Star" sidesteps any hint of saccharine sweetness, as Drew offers cascading, rubato runs supported by the nuanced interplay of Chambers and Jones. A finger-snapping "Blues for Nica" finds the trio rounding third and heading for home, while Drew's deft single-note lines elevate his extended statement on the familiar "It's Only a Paper Moon," made all the more engaging by the effortless chemistry shared among the three.

In his original Down Beat review, Nat Hentoff awarded the album four stars, calling it "a significant stage" in Drew's artistic development and highlighting the striking cover photograph by the iconic Roy DeCarava. Hentoff even suggested that Riverside make prints of the image available to the public for a "nominal charge." It is easy to see why—DeCarava's portrait is as evocative as the music itself. Combined with the superb packaging and pristine remastering, this reissue stands as one of the year's most impressive archival releases.