ONE OF THE TWO GREATEST JAZZ ALBUMS EVER RECORDED
Michael Pendragon | New York, NY United States | 05/02/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The other one being THE STORY OF OLD MAN JAZZ & HIS LOVES (SCORE, 2002), and also featuring the singing of Frankie Laine. Guess it's clear who my all-time favorite jazz singer is.
*****
JAZZ SPECTACULAR is precisely that: spectacular. Buck Clayton's trumpet is the perfect match for Frankie Laine's trumpet-like voice (often compared to a trumpet, Laine patterned his approach to jazz largely on his idol, Louis Armstrong's horn playing). The individual tracks glide so seamlessly in and out of vocals and instrumentals that the two aspects seem to have melded into one. This is jazz at its finest."
Get on the stick, Columbia/Sony! (Trombonists, let them he
Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 02/19/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Frankie Laine may not have been a Sinatra, Tony Bennett, or even Dick Haymes, but he was a likeable performer who not only introduced the haunting "We'll Be Together Again" but gave 100% every time out, whether classic American Songbook material or ephemeral period pieces like "Cry of the Wild Goose" and "I Believe." But there's no better way to honor his memory than to re-issue this album, shamefully out of print weeks after his passing.
Even if you're not a Laine fan, he fits in perfectly in the mix of this hi-spirited swing session. Buck Clayton has a distinctive voice on the trumpet practically matching that of Pops, but above all the recording is a gathering of Titanic trombonists, all of whom play their tails off. To begin with, there's the inimitable Dickie Wells, whose only equal among Basie trombonists may have been Al Grey. Then there's Kai Winding and the most influential of them all, J. J. Johnson, both given generous ensemble and solo space. But if that's not enough, add Duke Elllngton's #1 trombonist, Lawrence Brown. Normally, the most genteel and lyrical of trombone voices, Lawrence blows up a storm here. In fact, on the finale, a red-hot "Roses of Picardy," he follows both J.J. and Kai with a solo that scoops everyone, setting up Laine's joyous "out" chorus.
Whether you regard Frankie as the featured singer or just another player, as the star or the catalyst, this is a session that he has a right to be proud of--one, moreover, that deserves a place in most listeners' collections."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1