Jimmy Raney - In Three Attitudes (2011)

Two of Jimmy Raney’s most remarkable albums make up this set. The performances on the first feature Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, and Red Mitchell, all felicitous choices, since, in addition to being compatible and inventive soloists, their presence adds to the tonal palette and avoids the similarity in tonal color of most guitar records. But Raney also shows that his superiority in the quick, alert swinging of the up tempo tunes is balanced by his lyric work on the ballads.

For the second album he teamed up once again with Brookmeyer, adding Osie Johnson, Teddy Kotick, adding pianists Dick Katz and Hank Jones, who combine taste and imagination with swinging time, on four tunes each. Among the several virtues of this quality example of the art of improvisation on relatively challenging thematic-and-chordal structures is the lucidity and logic with which all here approach, develop, and round off their solos. And, as with all of Raney’s work, the music is polished, coherent and formidably well conceived and performed.

Tracklist:

01. So in Love (Porter) 5:36
02. Indian Summer (Herbert) 4:28
03. Fanfare (Brookmeyer) 3:59
04. Last Night When We Were Young (Arlen-Harburg) 5:19
05. On the Rocks (Raney) 4:59
06. Passport to Pimlico (Mandel) 4:13
07. Strike Up the Band (Gershwin) 4:52
08. Up in Quincy’s Room (Gryce) 5:26
09. Isn't It Romantic (Rodgers-Hart) 4:06
10. How Long Has This Been Going On (Gershwin) 4:31
11. No Male for Me (Brookmeyer) 4:19
12. The Flag Is Up (Raney) 4:11
13. Get Off That Roof (Brookmeyer) 4:07
14. Jim's Tune (Raney) 4:02
15. No One but Me (Raney) 4:58
16. Too Late Now (Lane-Lerner) 4:17

Sources:

Tracks #1-8 from the original ABC-Paramount LP:
"Jimmy Raney In Three Attitudes. Attitude 1: Bob Brookmeyer, Attitude 2: Al Cohn, Attitude 3: Red
Mitchell" (ABC167).

Tracks #9-16 from the original ABC-Paramount LP:
"Jimmy Raney Featuring Bob Brookmeyer" (ABC129).

Personnel:

Personnel on tracks #1,4,8:

Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb), John Williams (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Red Mitchell (b), Osie Johnsone (d). Recorded in New York City, May 14, 1956.

Personnel on tracks #3,6:

Al Cohn (ts), John Williams (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Whitey Mitchell (b), Jack Edie (d). Recorded in New York City, May 23, 1956.

Personnel on tracks #2,5,7:

Hall Overton (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Red Mitchell (g), Osie Johnson (d). Recorded in New York City, June 15, 1956.

Personnel on tracks #9,10,13,14:

Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb), Dick Katz (p), Jimmy raney (g), Teddy Kotick (b), Osie Johnson (d). Recorded in New York City, July 23, 1956.

Personnel on tracks #10,12,15,16:

Same as above, but Hank Jones (p), replaces Dick Katz.
Recorded in New York City, August 1, 1956.