JANUARY 23

                 SONNY RED
          Out of the Blue session                  
                   Recording Dates:
                        January 23, 1960

                   Personnel:
                        Jimmy Cobb    D
                        Sam Jones     B
                        Wynton Kelly  P
                        Sonny Red     AS

              LINK








Reviewby Scott Yanow

Sonny Red, a fine altoist inspired by Charlie Parker and Jackie McLean, never really made it in jazz, and some of his recordings are rather uninspired. However, that does not hold true for his Blue Note album, which has been reissued on this 1996 CD along with five previously unissued selections. Red, who is joined by pianist Wynton Kelly, either Sam Jones or Paul Chambers on bass, and either Roy Brooks or Jimmy Cobb on drums, never sounded better on records. He performs mostly little-known standards (along with six of his originals) and displays a fair amount of originality and a great deal of potential that was never really fulfilled. Recommended.