Tommy Whittle - Straight Eight (1986/2024) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

First ever appearance on CD for this 1985 session led by the British jazz saxophonists Alan Barnes and Tommy Whittle, alongside a stellar group that includes bassist Alec Dankworth, pianist Mick Pyne and drummer Alan Jackson. 'Straight Eight' was the first album to be released on the new Miles Music label in 1985, and the pairing of the established Tommy Whittle with the young Alan Barnes, who was rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the bright new talents on the jazz scene, would not have been immediately obvious.

That John Miles wanted to showcase both experience and youth in the UK jazz world was an indicator of how he imagined the role of Miles Music. To give the often unsung players from the British Isles the recording opportunities and exposure he felt they deserved.

For this debut album from the fledgling label, John, aided by co-producer Bruce Talbot, brought together a diverse rhythm section with a young Alec Dankworth on bass, the established and creative Mick Pyne on piano and Alan Jackson, a free spirit, on drums.

This remastering of the original tapes for the LP has four additional tracks from the original sessions, one an evocative tribute to Scott Lafaro, and three versions of 'Blues for Ronnie's', all with merit, that illustrate so well the difficult choices a jazz record producer has to make.

TRACKLIST

1. Tommy Whittle - Straight Eight
2. Tommy Whittle - Con Alma
3. Tommy Whittle - Joking
4. Tommy Whittle - Peppercorn
5. Tommy Whittle - Note 8.7
6. Tommy Whittle - Goodbye
7. Tommy Whittle - That's All
8. Tommy Whittle - Early
9. Tommy Whittle - Stablemates
10. Tommy Whittle - Scott LaFaro (Bonus Track Version)
11. Tommy Whittle - Blues for Ronnie's (Take 1) (Bonus Track Version)
12. Tommy Whittle - Blues for Ronnie's (Take 2) (Bonus Track Version)
13. Tommy Whittle - Blues for Ronnie's (Take 3) (Bonus Track Version)



Thanks to the Original customer.