Leonard Feather Archive

Leo Wright, sax – Blues Shout – Atlantic SD 1358 (1960)/ Pure Pleasure – vinyl

Leo Wright, sax – Blues Shout – Atlantic SD 1358 (1960)/ Pure Pleasure – vinyl

Leo Wright, sax – Blues Shout – Atlantic SD 1358 (1960)/ Pure Pleasure PPAN SD1358 (2017) stereo vinyl, 40:33 *****: Leo Wright’s auspicious debut is captured with a compelling vinyl re-mastering. (Leo Wright – alto saxophone, flute, arrangements; Harry Lookofsky – violin; Junior Nance – piano; Art Davis – doublebass; Charlie Persip – drums; Richard Williams – trumpet; Gigi Gryce – arrangements) Many jazz greats emerged from their days with Dizzy Gillespie. Charlie Parker, John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, Kenny Clarke, James Moody, Quincy Jones  and Les Spann all participated in various combos with Gillespie. In 1959 a young Texan named Leo Wright took over for Spain. In the Army, Wright had developed an assortment of musical skills, playing jazz, big band and was part of the symphony. He became proficient on alto saxophone, clarinet and flute. While attending San Francisco State, he got to sit in with Dizzy. After several recordings as a sideman, he was signed to Atlantic Records as a frontman. Here, Wright would develop as an arranger, composer and instrumentalist. Wright’s brilliant Atlantic debut, Blues Shout has been re-mastered to 180-gram vinyl by Pure Pleasure Records. And this analog upgrade is worth it. Both sides […]