Search - Gene Ammons :: The Gene Ammons Story: Gentle Jug

The Source

A. K. L. | Steilacoom, WA USA | 06/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Most of these reviewers classify Gentle Jug as dinner music or smooth jazz. That's too bad. I'm a tenor player and a very serious jazz fan and I consider this to be one of the all-time great albums of the genre. Jug is the source of a tradition - the tenor balladeer. In opera, its Caruso before Pavoratti. In jazz tenor ballads, it's Ben Webster and Gene Ammons before all others. After Hawk's 'Body and Soul,' the tradition of the tenor ballad was fully defined by Gene Ammons and Ben Webster. Jug knew how to love and how to cry. Spent a lot of years in jail persecuted for his drug habit. His pain and his blues come through these classic ballads. He doesn't try to pretty them up with virtuosity: just straight story-telling, which is what a ballad is. If it hadn't been for this recording, there would never have been a Houston Person or Scott Hamilton: probably no Coltrane Ballad album either. This CD is the source of a tradition. One of the absolute necessities to any jazz collection."

Gentle but not sappy

Bomojaz | South Central PA, USA | 02/27/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is made up of 2 Moodsville LPs, "Nice 'n' Cool" and "The Soulful Mood." Moodsville specialized in entire albums of ballad performances, and these 2 are no exceptions: all the tempos are slow. But Ammons can do wonders with a ballad, and most of these cuts are excellent. Ammons's approach usually consisted of slow tempo at first, then a middle section of double-time before going back to slow again for the ending. It's a formula, but it works well. The best-ever version of "Under a Blanket of Blue" is found here. If you like ballads you'll like this CD for sure."

An Atlanta small record store conspiracy?

danielinyaracuy | San Felipe, Yaracuy Venezuela | 01/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, apparently I am the 4th Amazon reviewer who has bought this record from an "unnamed" small record store in downtown Atlanta (I did it during a trip, as it was playing in that store and I was instantly captivated). Nevermind the coincidence, this record is as good as they come. Instead of describing it, let me tell you one way to use it. You are having a small dinner party for perhaps 3-4 very close friends. They appreciate good music and can carry intelligent conversation while listening to it. You wanted to put some arias as a background music but you actually are tired after cooking and want something more mellow, yet penetrating. You think about an Ella CD. You welcome your guests with a song book. What else could follow a song book from Ella? Well, Gene Ammons will do the trick. As the evening mellows and your friends are happy and relaxed, they start talking about the big questions of life. Gene Ammons will nicely go along and give them inspiration. This is music to open your soul to."