Search - Dick Wellstood :: Alone

I think this is Dick's best

billwoof | Sharon, MA USA | 01/21/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have just about all the albums Dick Wellstood did and in my opinion this is the very best, despite the artist's own opinion that This Is The One ...Dig! is his best. It is very good, but if I had to choose just one Dick Wellstood, Alone is the one I would choose."

Solo Wellstood

B. D. Tutt | London, UK. | 05/31/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is a reissue of Wellstood's second solo album, recorded in 1970. Wellstood was one of those jazz musicians who continued to improve throughout his life, reaching a late period peak in the early 1980s. This album finds him in good form, but is not a definitive release. He is a little stiff at times and does not improvise as daringly as he did later in his career.That said, there is a lot to appreciate on this disc. Highlights include a percussive "Carolina Shout", a gently swinging "You Can't Loose a Broken Heart", and best of all, a magnificent "Squeeze Me". The sound quality is fine, athough the album is based in two sessions at different studios with very different ambiances. This is exacerbated by the fact that the final four tracks are from the 1975 session largely released on the "This is the One" CD. This set had a very boomy sound that will not be to everyone's taste. "Sunny Side of the Street" is given a good reading, and the Ellington medley, a Wellstood favorite, includes his vigourous stride rendition of "Caravan".This is not essential Wellstood, but is still a valuable release. All lovers of stride should buy it."