One of the best albums ever from reedman
Buddy Collette – a great small group session with a harder edge than some of
Buddy's later records for bigger labels!
Collette was always one of the more interesting players from the LA scene of the 50s – and although he had his roots in harder jazz styles, he also played a lot of studio sessions – and had an amazing ability to shift through different modes and settings with effortless ease – and also shift his work on different reed instruments too! This album's a nice mix of both sides of his style – with some cuts that have
Collette playing flute or clarinet with a lyrical groove, and some more hard-blowing tracks that feature alto and tenor – in a cool quintet that features Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Al Viola on guitar, Wilfred Middlebrook on bass, and Earl Palmer on drums The session's a darn tough one to find, despite its importance in
Collette's career – and titles include "Walkin' Willie", "Changes", "The Cute Monster", and "Orlando Blues". CD features a bonus track – "Soft Touch (take 5)".