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CARL PERKINS - Introducing Carl Perkins
 
Phono 870233
 
Tracks 1 to 11
Carl Perkins ( pno ) Leroy Vinnegar ( bass ) Lawrence Marable ( drs )
Recorded  Los Angeles, late  1955 or early 1956
Bonus tracks 12 to 15
Carl Perkins ( solo pno )
Recorded Hollywood, 13 September 1954
Tracks 16 to 21
Carl Perkins ( pno ) Oscar Moore ( gtr ) Joe Comfort ( bass ) George Jenkins ( drs )
Recorded Hollywood, 10 September 1954
Track 22
Carl Perkins ( pno ) Jim Hall ( gtr ) Red Mitchell ( bass )
Recorded Los Angeles, January 1957
 
This release contains the only album issued under Carl Perkins own name whiched was issued as “Introducing Carl Perkins” , also included are four tracks of unaccompanied piano, six tracks which has Oscar Moore on guitar which brings to mind the Nat Cole Trio and one track which was probably left off the Jim Hall album “Jazz Guitar.
Carl Perkins had an odd piano stance due to an earlier bout of polio whereby he played with his left hand at right angles to his body with his right hand in the normal position, this may or may not influenced his style of playing.
He was a favourite pianist of many musicians and played and recorded with Jim Hall, the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet, Art Pepper, Dexter Gordon and Jack Sheldon to name a few. Unfortunately he died of a heroin overdose at tender age of twenty nine which was a great loss to the jazz community.
The tracks from the album “Introducing Carl Perkins” are a mixture of originals by Perkins and well known standards. The opening number a Carl Perkins’ original “Way Cross Town” which demonstrate his roots in the bop style.
By contrast he employs a flowery rhapsodic style on the ballad “You Don’t Know What Love Is” not straying too far from the melody.
The less frequently played  song “Lilacs in the Rain” by Peter De Rose with words not heard are by Mitchell Parish and it’s a beauty with Carl Perkins bringing out the best in the tune.
Carl Perkins is equally at home as a solo pianist on the four numbers on the album of which the stand out track “I’ve Never Been In Love Before”.
Oscar Moore is much more than just rhythm support on the quartet tracks and adds much to the solo strength of the group. “Love For Sale” has both the pianist and the guitarist paying on top form with a cohesive overall sound.
It is a bonus to have an additional track from the highly acclaimed album “Jazz Guitar” which rounds this release out nicely.
This is a very rewarding album and is a must purchase for Carl Perkins admirers or any lover of good jazz piano.
 
Reviewed by Roy Booth

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ECM celebrates 50 years of music production with the Touchstones series of re-issues