Peter Appleyard And The Jazz Giants: The Lost 1974 Sessions

While the aggregation of all-star jazz men featured on this previously unreleased, decades-old session may seem random at first glance, the great Benny Goodman is actually the musical tie that binds them all. In September of 1974, vibraphonist Peter Appleyard was part of a particularly strong Goodman sextet that appeared at Carnegie Hall. Appleyard had his own gig in Toronto the following evening and, amazingly enough, everyone in the band, with the exception of drummer Grady Tate, was available. Appleyard acquired the services of Mel Lewis to fill in the empty drummer's chair, and he suddenly found himself fronting the ultimate ad hoc ensemble of the day.

Nobody, save for the people who were at the show, might have ever known about this group, but Appleyard was able to parlay this once-in-lifetime gig into a loose and relaxed, late night recording session that's finally seeing the light of day. While the playlist indicates nineteen tracks, the album really contains nine proper performances, with studio banter tacked on between songs and a hefty, 25-minute audio montage of outtakes included as a bonus.

The set opens with a mellow Duke Ellington medley that moves from a vibraphone-oriented "Sophisticated Lady" to the gorgeous "I've Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)," that highlights saxophonist Zoot Sims' elegant, breathy bouquet. The brass take the baton for the remainder of the medley, with cornetist Bobby Hackett crooning on "Prelude To A Kiss" and trombonist Urbie Green bringing it home on "Mood Indigo," but everybody is back in action on the follow-up, "After You've Gone," which starts with some multi-horn polyphony and heats up when it goes into a double-time swing feel. Elsewhere, Appleyard and Sims tangle their solo lines with spectacular results on "Tangerine," pianist Hank Jones steals the spotlight for a solo piano take on "Dancing On The Ceiling," and bassist Slam Stewart proves to be his ever-entertaining self with his inimitable scat-matches-arco soloing on "Indiana."

While the inclusion of the studio dialogue tracks and outtakes may not have been in the album's best interest as they tend to take away from the overall listening experience, they do provide an insider's view of the session, helping to capture the moment in its entirety. Fortunately, this proves to be a minor bone of contention on a largely enjoyable album, crafted by some of the finest musicians to ever wield their respective horns.

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