DECEMBER 2

     MARY LOU WILLIAMS
      Featuring Don Byas

            Recording Date:
                  December 2, 1953

            Personnel:
                Mary Lou Williams   P
                Don Byas                TS
                Gerald Pochonet     D
                Alvin Banks             B

              LINK

Review By King Cake
The record preserves a historic Paris reunion of two seminal figures in Jazz history who first met and played together in the early 30's. Here they play with French drummer Gerald 'Dave' Pochonet (remember him from the Lucky Thompson series?) and another ex-patriot Alvin 'Buddy' Banks on bass. Of the very few Byas albums I've heard from the 50's, this is the best. Eight of these tracks can be found on a Vogue issue but this one includes two MLW solos pieces, Yesterdays and Round Midnight.