Search - Billy Eckstine :: Boppin' with "B"

Double Punch!

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 05/07/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The renewed interest in Billy Eckstein seems to stem in part from two primary sources: the Ken Burns' PBS series that called attention to the jazz giants comprising the Eckstein band in the early '40's; the rediscovery and growing popularity of John Coltrane's various recordings (especially the "Live at Birdland" session) of the Eckstein original, "I Want to Talk About You." If you desire some evidence of the solo strengths of the jazz innovators accompanying Eckstein (Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gillespie, Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, Art Blakey), this album is probably the most revealing among the various Eckstein collections of his legendary big band (but keep in mind that Gene Ammons used to joke about musicians of this caliber being required to play whole notes behind their crooner-leader's signature ballads). If you've wondered about the source of Coltrane's inspiration for "I Want to Talk About You," the version recorded here will confirm both his discrimination in selecting such material and his loving attention to the details of the melody and words of the original even as he reinvents the tune in some of his later, most adventurous playing on record."