STAN TRACEY TRIO - The 1959 Sessions
Resteamed Records RSJ116
Stan Tracey (piano, vibes); Kenny Napper (bass); Tony Crombie (drums - tracks 1 to 4); Phil Seamen (drums - tracks 5 to 8)
The trio: piano, bass and drums, is the perfect setting for Stan Tracey. Once, in his Ronnie Scott house musician period, the only time that you could hear Stan was as he accompanied whoever was the main attraction at Scott’s. So, to enjoy those golden moments you had to listen through hours of Getz, Stitt, Rollins, Lateef, Cohn, Griffin, Webster, Byas, Kirk, Montgomery, Sims.
On this album, it's all there, right from the start, the assertive aggressive touch, the Invention, the surprise note and the unique chordal choices. Although these sessions came from 1959 Stan Tracey is immediately recognisable. Did he change much in the years from 1959? Yes, he did. Not as sardonic, there is a gentleness here that was not as present in later years.
Tracey is pure Tracey. Yes, he built his own style with traces from Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington, evidence of his good taste. The result was always pure Tracey.
When the CD finishes its 36 minutes and the listener is, as always with Stan, energized and stimulated, the conviction that Stan is an important and irreplaceable pianist is reaffirmed.
‘Moonlight in Vermont’ is given a subtle, gentle, romantic patina with Tony Crombie’s drums a perfect accompaniment. The improvisation that Stan constructs has many of the characteristics of his work: idiosyncratic, acerbic. Kenny Napper bounces the music along though ‘Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid’, a self-effacing bass player, content to support rather than to grandstand. He inhabits subtly some of the musical spaces vacated by Stan.
The second session is Tracey as composer. ‘Mood 13’ has the kind of melody that you feel you already know. It has a loping rhythm and the relaxed improvisation grows naturally out of the theme. Kenny Napper and Phil Seamen contribute effectively to the laidback mood.
‘Little Girl Sadly’ could well have come from the great American songbook. There is heartache and poignancy in the playing. Not a typical Tracey theme but evidence of the range and depth of his music. ‘Street of Themes’ is a jaunty number with a rhythm to match. The second chorus is on vibes, an instrument that Tracey used sporadically at that time. Good to hear the vibes but it takes up space that would have been better played on the piano.
‘Pitter Patter Panic’ is the highlight of the album. It has all the drive, energy and inventiveness of Tracey. The percussive nature of the solo as he traverses the keyboard without losing logic lifts the spirits.
This is a perfect setting for Stan Tracey, he does not need a horn, pure unadulterated Tracey. The only question is: why was this hidden away for so long? It is to be hoped that the Resteamed archive is being searched, investigated and explored to unearth similar sessions. There is not enough of Stan in a trio setting. In the early two thousands Andrew Cleyndert recorded three trio sessions for his Trio label and they are superb examples of latter-day Tracey, useful comparisons.
Stan Tracey is irreplaceable as we knew he would be. The music here is an invaluable addition.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
Resteamed Records RSJ116
Stan Tracey (piano, vibes); Kenny Napper (bass); Tony Crombie (drums - tracks 1 to 4); Phil Seamen (drums - tracks 5 to 8)
The trio: piano, bass and drums, is the perfect setting for Stan Tracey. Once, in his Ronnie Scott house musician period, the only time that you could hear Stan was as he accompanied whoever was the main attraction at Scott’s. So, to enjoy those golden moments you had to listen through hours of Getz, Stitt, Rollins, Lateef, Cohn, Griffin, Webster, Byas, Kirk, Montgomery, Sims.
On this album, it's all there, right from the start, the assertive aggressive touch, the Invention, the surprise note and the unique chordal choices. Although these sessions came from 1959 Stan Tracey is immediately recognisable. Did he change much in the years from 1959? Yes, he did. Not as sardonic, there is a gentleness here that was not as present in later years.
Tracey is pure Tracey. Yes, he built his own style with traces from Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington, evidence of his good taste. The result was always pure Tracey.
When the CD finishes its 36 minutes and the listener is, as always with Stan, energized and stimulated, the conviction that Stan is an important and irreplaceable pianist is reaffirmed.
‘Moonlight in Vermont’ is given a subtle, gentle, romantic patina with Tony Crombie’s drums a perfect accompaniment. The improvisation that Stan constructs has many of the characteristics of his work: idiosyncratic, acerbic. Kenny Napper bounces the music along though ‘Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid’, a self-effacing bass player, content to support rather than to grandstand. He inhabits subtly some of the musical spaces vacated by Stan.
The second session is Tracey as composer. ‘Mood 13’ has the kind of melody that you feel you already know. It has a loping rhythm and the relaxed improvisation grows naturally out of the theme. Kenny Napper and Phil Seamen contribute effectively to the laidback mood.
‘Little Girl Sadly’ could well have come from the great American songbook. There is heartache and poignancy in the playing. Not a typical Tracey theme but evidence of the range and depth of his music. ‘Street of Themes’ is a jaunty number with a rhythm to match. The second chorus is on vibes, an instrument that Tracey used sporadically at that time. Good to hear the vibes but it takes up space that would have been better played on the piano.
‘Pitter Patter Panic’ is the highlight of the album. It has all the drive, energy and inventiveness of Tracey. The percussive nature of the solo as he traverses the keyboard without losing logic lifts the spirits.
This is a perfect setting for Stan Tracey, he does not need a horn, pure unadulterated Tracey. The only question is: why was this hidden away for so long? It is to be hoped that the Resteamed archive is being searched, investigated and explored to unearth similar sessions. There is not enough of Stan in a trio setting. In the early two thousands Andrew Cleyndert recorded three trio sessions for his Trio label and they are superb examples of latter-day Tracey, useful comparisons.
Stan Tracey is irreplaceable as we knew he would be. The music here is an invaluable addition.
Reviewed by Jack Kenny
