The Wardell Gray Story

The Wardell Gray Story

ASIN: B000083EHW

Track Listings
Disc: 1

1. At the el Grotto

2. Straight Life

3. Let's Get Started

4. Bamby

5. Blue Keys

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Chase

2. Creep

3. Out of Nowhere

4. Blue 'N' Boogie

5. Semi-Quiet (Sonny's Bop)

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Five Star

2. Sugar Hill Bop

3. In a Pinch

4. It's the Talk of the Town

5. Bedlam

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Bright Boy

2. Jackie

3. Farmer's Market

4. Sweet and Lovely

5. Lover Man

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
This 77 track celebration of the man's art is the most complete in the marketplace and comes with a 40 page booklet telling the story of one of the truly great bebop tenor saxophonists and including session details and rare photos. Four standard jewel cases housed in cardboard slipbox. Proper. 2003.

Tracks:

At the el Grotto
Straight Life
Let's Get Started
Bamby
Blue Keys
Dell's Bells
One for Prez
Man I Love
Easy Swing
Great Lie, Pts. 1 and 2
Blue Lou
Backbreaker
She's Got Blues for Sale
Groovin' High
Hot House
Bebop

Tracks:

Chase
Creep
Out of Nowhere
Blue 'N' Boogie
Semi-Quiet (Sonny's Bop)
Blue Lou
How High the Moon
C Jam Blues
Light Gray
Stoned
Matter and Mind
Toupe
Cookin' on Up
Swedish Pastry
Mary's Idea
Bye Bye Blues Bop
Stealin' Apples
Jahbero
Ladybird
Symphonette
Shawn
Hucklebuck

Tracks:

Five Star
Sugar Hill Bop
In a Pinch
It's the Talk of the Town
Bedlam
In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee
Blue Lou
Egg Head
Twisted
Southside
Easy Living
Sweet Lorraine
Sinner Kissed an Angel
Blue Gray
Grayhound
Treadin' With Treadwell
Scrapple from the Apple
Song of the Islands
One O'Clock Jump
Tootsie
Nails
Little Pony
April Skies

Tracks:

Bright Boy
Jackie
Farmer's Market
Sweet and Lovely
Lover Man
Jeep Is Jumpin'
Johnny Come Lately
Punkin'
Rubaiyat
I Hear You Knockin'
Jingle, Jangle, Jump
Citizen's Bop
Bernie's Tune
Squirrel
Taking a Chance on Love
Get Happy

Album Description

This 77 track celebration of the man's art is the most complete in the marketplace and comes with a 40 page booklet telling the story of one of the truly great bebop tenor saxophonists and including session details and rare photos. Four standard jewel cases housed in cardboard slipbox. Proper. 2003.

Album Details

Gray is One of the Truly Great Bebop Tenor Saxophonists. Often Performing in Tandem with that Other Giant Dexter Gordon, Gray also Worked with Benny Goodman and Count Basie. This 77 Track Celebration of the Man's Art is the Most Complete in the Marketplace and Comes with a 40 Page Booklet Telling the Story and Includes Session Detail and Rare Photos.

Customer Reviews:

Nobody Swung More than Wardell Gray.......2005-05-29

Wardell Gray was acknowledged to be one of the finest tenor saxophonists in jazz. He arrived as a 21-year old soloist in the Earl Hines big band of 1944-5. His style is firmly rooted in Lester Young, but his sound is all his own. His style resembles Dexter Gordon, but Dexter was closer to Parker, while Gray is closer to Young. His sound is full and rich and he swings hard. Like Young he has the ability to build solos of incredible drive through the use of memorable riffs. His ballad playing is haunting and memorable.

He was a regular participant in concerts staged by Gene Norman.
These were free-swinging jam sessions that placed a premium on on-the-spot improvisation. With the likes of Sonny Criss, Al Killian and Dodo Marmarosa these were very exciting affairs.
There's lots of this stuff here, much of it quite rare.

Gray's first solos with the Hines band of 1945 are here. The band sounds great, and the solo work is terrific.

The 1946 quartet sides with pianist Dodo Marmarosa are phenomenal. Their ballad paraphrase of the Man I Love is brilliant.

Gray's big brush with fame came as Benny Goodman's featured soloist in the 1948 "bebop" band. All the Capitol sides are here, including "Stealin Apples" with Fats Navarro. Gray is also heard with the Tadd Dameron band, again with Navarro.
The rare "Clique Club" recordings with Goodman, clarinet sensation Stan Hasselgard, Teddy Wilson and Mary Lou Williams are also here.

Of course, Gray's biggest hit "Twisted" is here. The Prestige stuff with Al Haig, and the Art Farmer Hampton Hawes recordings are here. This is where this set ends, circa 1953. Gray did record some later stuff that is not here, he died in 1956, but what is here is marvellous.

Gray plays superbly throughout. The sound is good. Much of this material has not been available for years, if ever. This is a real feast for tenor-lovers. I have played this package constantly since I got it, and recommend it highly.

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