Dizzy Reece - Soundin' Off (1960/2011/2013) [DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC]

Maybe not exactly the first Dizzy that comes to mind when discussing jazz, this Jamaican-born, British-raised trumpeter overcame whatever burdens that nickname may have wrought to become a highly respected player in the New York scene. He enhanced that rep by recording some truly excellent albums for the Savoy, Blue Note and Prestige labels among others. His robust and passionate playing styles always seemed to inspire other musicians in his company. The contributions of the esteemed trio invited; pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor unilaterally match the front man's fire and bold approach to each tune.

Originally issued in 1960 and subsequently reissued multiple times in a variety of formats, the trumpeter Dizzy Reece's fourth Blue Note outing as a leader is here presented in Super Audio CD format by the APO label. While it would have been nice to see a bit more material on a reissue like this (with at least a couple of alternate takes), the original program is densely packed with high-quality music and makes for a solidly satisfying listening experience on its own. The opening track, interestingly enough, is both a ballad and a standard: on "Ghost of a Chance" Reece plays with a buttery, burnished tone that coats the familiar melody in a golden haze like the quality of light at dusk. The sun rises again on the next track, a midtempo number titled "Once in a While," and the tempo ratchets up another notch on "Eb Pob," a rather undistinguished composition on the "I Got Rhythm" changes that is completely redeemed by the quality of the solos. "Yesterday" finds pianist Walter Bishop delivering a curiously lackadaisical solo, but he gets back in the groove on a wonderful version of "Our Love Is Here to Stay." The program ends with a nice, bouncy blues original titled "Blue Streak." Throughout the album, Reece digs into his bag of sonic tricks without ever doing anything that detracts from the music itself. Soundin' Off is a little bit uneven, but is never less than a solid pleasure to listen to.

Tracklist:

01 - A Ghost Of A Chance
02 - Once In A While
03 - EB Pob
04 - Yesterdays
05 - Our Love Is Here To Stay
06 - Blue Streak

Produced by Alfred Lion. Engineered by Rudy Van Gelder.
Recorded on May 12, 1960 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Mastered by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman at AcousTech Mastering, Camarillo, CA.
DSD files prepared by Gus Skinas at the Super Audio Center, Boulder, Colorado.

Musicians:
Dizzy Reece - trumpet
Walter Bishop Jr. - piano
Doug Watkins - bass
Art Taylor - drums


Thanks to the Original customer!