CD1
Piano Interpretations
1. Cherokee
2. Crazy He Calls Me
3. Blue Moon
4. Born To Be Blue
5. Moonlight In Vermont
6. There Will Never Be Another You
7. I Found A New Baby
8. Goodbye
Wynton Kelly - Piano
Oscar Pettiford - Bass (tracks 3, 4)
Franklin Skeete - Bass (tracks 1, 2, 5-8)
Lee Abrams - Drums
Piano
9. Whisper Not
10. Action
11. Dark Eyes
12. Strong Man
13. Ill Wind
14. Don’t Explain
Wynton Kelly - Piano
Kenny Burrell - Guitar
Paul Chambers - Bass
Philly Joe Jones - Drums (tracks 9-11)
Kelly Blue
15. Kelly Blue
Wynton Kelly - Piano
Nat Adderley - Cornet
Bobby Jaspar - Flute
Benny Golson - Tenor sax
Paul Chambers - Bass
Jimmy Cobb - Drums
16. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
Wynton Kelly - Piano
Paul Chambers - Bass
Jimmy Cobb - Drums
CD2
Kelly Blue
1. On Green Dolphin Street
2. Willow Weep For Me
3. Keep It Moving
4. Old Clothes
Tracks 1, 2, 4 - same personnel as track 16 CD1
Track 3 - same personnel as track 15 CD1
Someday My Prince Will Come
5. Someday My Prince Will Come
6. Gone With The Wind
7. Autumn Leaves
8. Come Rain Or Come Shine
9. Weird Lullaby
10. Sassy
11. Temperance
12. On Stage
13. Char’s Blues
14. Love, I’ve Found You
Wynton Kelly - Piano
Paul Chambers - Bass (tracks 9, 11, 12)
Sam Jones - Bass (tracks 5-8, 10, 13, 14)
Philly Joe Jones - Drums (9, 11, 12)
Jimmy Cobb - Drums (5-8, 10, 13, 14)
In this Avid release, these sessions are both an introduction, as well as a validation of Wynton Kelly, as a pianist of style, conviction and
substance. Starting with his first album as a leader for Blue Note Records in 1951, and called Piano Interpretations, Kelly showed the promise of
what he was to become. The final album in this set in 1961, is called Someday My Prince Will Come, and by then Kelly had participated in Miles
Davis’s ground-breaking record Kind Of Blue in 1959. He had appropriately, solidified his reputation as a dynamic soloist in the hard-bop
tradition.
When Piano Interpretations was released in 1951, Wynton Kelly was a nineteen year old, who had already developed a pianistic style that was
influenced by both Bud Powell and Teddy Wilson. Opening the set with a full-throttle version of Ray Noble’s Cherokee, Kelly covers the keyboard
with strong single-note runs. Showing his versatility, he uses block chords to set the stage for a moderate tempo version of Blue Moon. Helping to
keep Kelly’s sense of time on track is bassist Oscar Pettiford, whose unflagging tone is a delight. Pettiford also has a wonderful solo on the track Born To Be Blue on which Kelly shows his unwavering taste. This album has long been unavailable, so it is a welcomed inclusion in this release.
Some seven years pass before Kelly takes the role as leader on Piano (Whisper Not), recorded for Riverside Records in 1958, principally as a
session with guitarist Kenny Burrell, accompanied by bassist Paul Chambers. On three tracks, Whisper Not, Action, and Dark Eyes, drummer
Philly Joe Jones is added. Of these tracks, the Benny Golson composition Whisper Not may be the most interesting. All participants are fully
engaged with Paul Chambers’ bass noticeably effective in laying down a deep-toned beat. Philly Joe Jones proves that he is more than a time-keeper by
demonstrating an assertive energy. Kelly shows his flexible and thoughtful style, while Burrell is full of quick-silver note playing. The Harold Arlen
number Ill Wind is usually taken at a more moderate tempo than the swinger offered here, but it nevertheless works. The trio
(Kelly/Chambers/Burrell) find a groove that is neatly unwavering, allowing everyone to grab a chorus or two. The final trio number is the Billie Holiday
composition Don’t Explain which was an integral part of her repertoire. In both of their solos, Kelly and Burrell capture the
emotion and the sensitivity of the number.
Kelly Blue
recorded for Riverside in 1959, is primarily a trio session, but has two sextet tracks, Kelly Blue and Keep It Moving, to add interest to
the outing. The former is a true blues-based number written by Kelly, where he is primarily an accompanist to a strong front line charged with carrying the
load. Belgian flautist Bobby Jaspar shows his mettle, with an opening solo that is sharply measured. Cornetist Nat Adderley offers his clean tone and solid
technique, after which Benny Golson on tenor sax has an expressive turn on his horn. On the other sextet track, there is a strong opening from the band,
with some unison playing from the front line, followed by a melodic solo from Kelly. After that each member takes a piece of the action with flautist
Jaspar and cornetist Adderley particularly effective. It would have been instructive to have had more from this configuration as they produced a kinetic
energy. As for the Kelly trio tracks with bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Jimmy Cobb, this configuration was involved in the Miles DavisKind Of Blue album, which was recorded in the same time frame, and thus they were instinctually collaborative, as evidenced by their rendition of On Green Dolphin Street.
Someday My Prince Will Come
was recorded in 1961 and it is a trio recording with two different iterations, both of which are full of creative and intuitive piano playing. The cuts
with bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones are Weird Lullaby, Temperance and On Stage. Given the time that Chambers and Joe
Jones spent working together in the Miles Davis Quintet, they have a symbiotic relationship that works on many levels. Here they lay a solid foundation for
Kelly to work his charm and precise phrasing on these compositions. The other tracks have Sam Jones on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums, and they are equally
sure-footed. All of them are keepers, as they demonstrate Kelly’s hard-bop single-note lines, filled with flowing and persuasive rhythmic undercurrents.
Wynton Kelly age 39, died of an epileptic seizure on April 12, 1971 in Toronto, Canada where he was to play a gig. Much promise was still unfulfilled.
Pierre Giroux
CD Reviews
Avid AMSC 1165
