Sam `The Man´ Taylor

Featuring: Charlie Shavers, Thad Jones (tp), Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Sam “The Man” Taylor, Georgie Auld (ts), Budd Johnson (ts, bars), Haywood Henry (bs), Hank Jones (p), Barry Galbraith, Billy Bauer (g), Milt Hinton (b), Panama Francis (d)

Sam “The Man” Taylor is a saxophonist as adept at swinging jazz as he is at the blues and R&B for which he is most famous. With his unending drive and energy, he stood out in the bands he was in, including those of Cootie Williams, Cab Calloway and others. During the 50s he spent much of his time playing R&B sessions, but he also performed and recorded often with his own combo and, ten years later, he achieved wide recognition in Japan thanks to his ballads. This CD, however, resents an exultant Taylor, deeply rooted in the most genuine jazz, during a swinging 1958 session with great jazzmen like Charlie Shavers, Georgie Auld, Budd Johnson and Hank Jones. As a bonus, there is an example of his more “rocking” side, fronting a group that exudes Taylor’s typically soulful essence.

Track Listing:

01. Bucks County Bounce
02. Long Island Railroad Blues
03. Westchester Waltz
04. Rockland County Round Trip
05. Westport Wail
06. Lester Leaps In
07. Body And Soul
08. Air Mail Special
09. All Too Soon
10. Flyin’ Home
11. Taylor Made (*) Bonus Tracks
12. Sam’s Blues (*) Bonus Tracks
13. Ride, Sammy, Ride (*) Bonus Tracks
14. Do-A-Lu (*) Bonus Tracks
15. Road Runner (*) Bonus Tracks
16. Lock Out (*) Bonus Tracks
17. The Big Beat (*) Bonus Tracks
18. Cloudburst (*) Bonus Tracks

All sessions recorded in New York.
The album tracks were recorded on October 15 & 22, 1958.
The Bonus tracks came from different sessions cut between March, 1955 and June, 1956.