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Al Grey

Trombonist Al Grey was famous as "the last of the big time plungers," for his mastery at using a plumber's plunger to manipulate the color of his instrument. The result was a soulful quality that sounds as if he's singing the blues. Grey rose to prominence as a soloist and gifted accompanist to singers, particularly on bluesy numbers. His unique style developed over years spent playing with many great bands

Source: NPR

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Liner Notes

Paul Quinichette: Like Basie

Read "Paul Quinichette: Like Basie" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan


Like any business concerned with making a profit, the record industry has often resorted to questionable concepts, tributes, or other hooks to lure more costumers to their product. Currently we find ourselves in an era where the quality of original music is arguably on the decline, thus it has become even more prevalent to use nostalgia as a selling point. While ghost bands and one-off tributes may be a way to bring a new audience to the music of some ...

272
Album Review

Paul Quinichette & His Basie-ites: Like Basie

Read "Like Basie" reviewed by Nic Jones


Like Basie has already seen the light of day in the CD era as an OJC release, but given its qualities, its reappearance here is welcome anyway. Paul Quinichette's career was perhaps more dogged than aided by the lazy “Vice-Pres" tag that was placed upon him because of his stylistic allegiance to Lester Young. As ever the details of the matter were somewhat different. His work was in fact rhythmically far less oblique, whilst the timbre of his playing was ...

269
Album Review

Tony Bennett: Sings Ellington Hot And Cool

Read "Sings Ellington Hot And Cool" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


All Class. In the end, there was Tony Bennett. Oft quoted and making a rock-hard point, Frank Sinatra once mused that Bennett was the finest male vocalist performing. And here in arguably the Autumn of his years is Bennett, performing at a new career height. Sings Ellington Hot and Cool is the fourth in a successful series of discs focusing exclusively on contemporaries of Bennett. These releases include 1992’s Perfectly Frank Frank Sinatra, Columbia 52965); 1993’s Steppin’ Out (Fred Astaire, ...

284
Album Review

Al Grey: Matzoh and Grits

Read "Matzoh and Grits" reviewed by Arthur C. Bourassa


“Exactly My Sentiments" is a good start to this new release by Al Grey’s group. Randolph Noel on piano wrote the tune and he does shine on it. Most musicians do their best on tunes they write; this tune is no exception. Joe Cohn gives a spirited performance on this tune and “A Day in the Life of a Fool." Everyone gets a chance to show their stuff on “Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid," especially Cleve Guyton on alto after an ...

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The Blowpipes
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Coley Bryce Stegall
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Like Basie

Mighty Quinn Productions
2006

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Snap Your Fingers

Audio Fidelity
2003

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Grey's Mood: The...

Unknown label
2002

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Sings Ellington Hot...

Columbia Records
2000

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Matzoh and Grits

Arbors Records
1998

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Christmas Stockin'...

Audio Fidelity
1992

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