Dial Records initiated the “tenor battle" concept in 1947 when the label brought bebop saxophonists Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray into the studio to record Gordon's composition The Chase. Prestige Records then perfected and exploited the dueling-tenors format, starting in 1950, with Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons recording of Blues Up and Down and other 78 sides.
Among Prestige's series of tenor pairings between 1950 and '60 were Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane playing Tenor Madness (1956); Very Saxy in 1959 with tenor saxophonists Eddie “Lockjaw" Davis, Buddy Tate, Arnett Cobb and Coleman Hawkins; Tenor Conclave (1956) with Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims and Al Cohn; Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins on Sonny Side Up (1959) and “Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin on Battle Stations (1960). Many more would follow.
One of the baddest, “boss tenors" tracks recorded by Prestige during this 10-year period was Jimmy Forrest's original Soul Street. The earthy blues was captured during Prestige's Soul Battle recording session in September 1960, featuring tenor saxophonists Jimmy Forrest, King Curtis and Oliver Nelson. The LP wasn't released until 1962.
Too long for the album at 9:06, Soul Street turned up instead on a Forrest compilation LP of the same name, also in 1962. The rhythm section backing the three tenors featured Gene Casey (p), George Duvivier (b) and Roy Haynes (d). Sheer perfection!
Here's Soul Street, with Forrest taking the first solo, Curtis the second and Nelson the third...
Among Prestige's series of tenor pairings between 1950 and '60 were Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane playing Tenor Madness (1956); Very Saxy in 1959 with tenor saxophonists Eddie “Lockjaw" Davis, Buddy Tate, Arnett Cobb and Coleman Hawkins; Tenor Conclave (1956) with Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims and Al Cohn; Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins on Sonny Side Up (1959) and “Lockjaw" Davis and Johnny Griffin on Battle Stations (1960). Many more would follow.
One of the baddest, “boss tenors" tracks recorded by Prestige during this 10-year period was Jimmy Forrest's original Soul Street. The earthy blues was captured during Prestige's Soul Battle recording session in September 1960, featuring tenor saxophonists Jimmy Forrest, King Curtis and Oliver Nelson. The LP wasn't released until 1962.
Too long for the album at 9:06, Soul Street turned up instead on a Forrest compilation LP of the same name, also in 1962. The rhythm section backing the three tenors featured Gene Casey (p), George Duvivier (b) and Roy Haynes (d). Sheer perfection!
Here's Soul Street, with Forrest taking the first solo, Curtis the second and Nelson the third...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved.
