Wardell Gray: A Sinner Kissed an Angel – Rare 1949–1953 Jazz Recordings

Description

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WARDELL GRAY A Sinner Kissed an Angel
Recorded between 1949 and 1953
XR remastering by Andrew Rose at Pristine Audio, November-December 2011
Cover artwork based on a photograph of Wardell Gray
Total duration: 75:29

Wardell Gray, tenor saxophone
With various artists

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Wardell Grey – one of the forgotten greats of Jazz

New 32-bit XR-remastered transfers with utterly transformed sound quality

This album came about as one of those happy accidents – a Sunday afternoon leafing through a collection of old LPs donated to Pristine unearthed two volumes on the Esquire label, entitled “Wardell Gray Memorial”, which together make up the selection of studio and live recordings presented here.

My initial aim was to rework the rather poor sound quality of the original recordings for my own pleasure, but the results far exceeded my expectations – hence the present issue. Gone is the primitive, almost telephonic sound of the originals – in its place a fuller, much brighter sound that really allows the performers to ‘sing’.

Judicious use of Ambient Stereo and a convolution reverb which recreates the acoustic of the Birdland jazz club in New York also help contibute to a fabulously lively and spontaneous sound that really brings this long-forgotten saxophonist’s great music back to life.

Andrew Rose

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1. Twisted (3:07)
2. Easy Living (4:25)
3. Southside (3:22)
4. Sweet Lorraine (4:09)
   Recorded 11 November 1949
   Al Haig piano
   Tommy Potter bass
   Roy Haynes drums
5. Blue Gray (2:47)
6. Grayhound (3:04)
7. A Sinner Kissed an Angel (3:11)
8. Treadin’ (3:51)
   Recorded 25 April 1950
   Phil Hill piano
   Johnny Richardson bass
   Art Madigan drums
9. Move (9:46)
10. Scrapple from the Apple (9:03)
    Recorded live at the Hula Hut, Sunset Strip, Los Angeles, California, 27 August 1950
    Dexter Gordon tenor
    Sonny Criss alto
    Clark Terry trumpet
    Jimmy Bunn piano
    Billy Hadnott bass
    Chuck Thompson drums
11. April Skies (3:01)
12. Bright Boy (2:46)
13. Jackie (2:31)
14. Farmer’s Market (2:47)
15. Sweet and Lovely (3:15)
16. Lover Man (2:22)
    Recorded 21 January 1952
    Art Farmer trumpet
    Hampton Hawes piano
    Harper Crosby bass
    Larry Marable drums
    Robert Collier conga
17. So Long Broadway (3:09)
18. Paul’s Cause (2:54)
19. The Man I Love (3:07)
20. Lavonne (2:52)
    Recorded 20 February 1953
    Teddy Charles vibes
    Frank Morgan alto
    Sonny Clark piano
    Dick Nivison bass
    Larry Marable drums
    Wardell Gray tenor saxophone
    Transfers from Esquire LPs 32-016 and 32-023
    NB. There is at least one terrible edit in the live recordings – this is as presented on the original LP!
    

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