Search - David "Fathead" Newman :: Mr. Gentle Mr. Cool : A Tribute To Duke Ellington

At least Duke would appreciate it.

Samuel Chell | Kenosha,, WI United States | 02/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Produced by Herbie Mann with liner notes by Leonard Feather, this album displays the sound and good taste of tenor-alto sax legend David Fathead Newman to maximum advantage. In fact, it's a tour de force for Fathead, who submits definitive versions of all 11 Ellington compositions, some rarely heard (and no "A Train" or "Satin Doll"!). The piccolo bass of Ron Carter and trombone of Jim Pugh make the session even more attractive, contributing to the colorful, "Ellingtonian" textures of the orchestrations. It's tough to account for the neglect of this one, which should hit it just right for both Ellington lovers and fans of saxophone as played by a living legend who shows why he deserves the title.



My favorite moment: Fathead's gorgeous flute work on "Azure" (no wonder Herbie Mann was content to produce the session rather than play on it!).



This is simply a recording that's impossible to dislike, more receptive to repeated listenings than Joe Henderson's tribute to Billy Strayhorn. Maybe the album is a bit "refined" in cover design, concept, and audio (neither Peter Washington's bass nor Lewis Nash's drum kit is "artificially enhanced," as is the case on most of the recordings I've received of late). I'd say all the more reason to pick up a copy while it's still around."