Red Garland Quintet – Soul Junction – RVG Remasters Prestige/Concord

by | Aug 8, 2007 | Jazz CD Reviews | 0 comments

Red Garland  Quintet – Soul Junction – RVG Remasters Prestige/Concord mono PRCD-30169, 42:39 ****:

(Red Garland, piano; John Coltrane, tenor sax; Donald Byrd, trumpet; George Joyner, bass; Arthur Taylor, drums)

Another in the continuing RVG series of jazz remasters. Rudy Van Gelder points out in the note booklet that although he had mastered the vinyl versions originally, with the advent of CD someone else at Fantasy did the remastering. Now he is handling that task himself and is pleased to present his own versions using the latest technology.  The results, even with the mono masters (current practice seems to eschew mentioning that fact on the discs) are nearly always an improvement over the previous reissues on CD, and often nearly identical to those which have been issued on $30 xrcds.

Garland, who was Miles Davis’ pianist on and off, had terrific chops, a variety of differently-voiced chords, and a sublime sense of swing.  One can hear influences of Bud Powell, Art Tatum and Teddy Wilson, as well as the stride pianists, in his style. He usually stayed in a mainstream groove, parting company with Miles’ forays into funk, fusion and rock. This 1957 session is a classic due not only to Garland but the contributions of Coltrane and Byrd. Coltrane had begun straightening out his life following Miles firing him due to drugs, and he’s playing with great fire and originality.  Byrd is also first-rate, taking great solos on the two Dizzy Gillespie originals on the date: Woody’n You and Birks’ Works. The original LP liner notes by Nat Hentoff are included, and he referred to Garland’s style as never having any muddiness to it. That’s it – why I dig Red.

TrackList: Soul Junction, Woody’n You, Birks’ Works, I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good, Hallelujah

– John Henry

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