Roy Eldridge

5 STARS DOWN BEAT MAGAZINE
 

This editon presents the complete original album Urbane Jazz (Verve MGV8212, tracks 1-10), as well as all of the other tunes taped during those sessions. While the main focus here is on the quintet fronted by Eldridge and Carter, four tracks present Eldridge playing amazing duets with drummer Alvin Stoller (the trumpeter also plays piano on “Wailing”). The only two tracks featuring Eldridge from the soundtrack of the French movie Les Tricheurs have been added as a bonus (on one track Roy shares the front line with Stan Getz in a sextet).

Includes 12-page booklet

PERSONNEL:

(1-6) & (11-15)
ROY ELDRIDGE, trumpet (flugelhorn on 6 & 14)
BENNY CARTER, alto sax
BRUCE McDONALD, piano
JOHN SIMMONS, bass
ALVIN STOLLER, drums
Los Angeles, March 23, 1955.

(7-10)
ROY ELDRIDGE, trumpet (on 8-10), flugelhorn (on 7), also piano (on 10)
ALVIN STOLLER, drums
Los Angeles, March 21, 1955.

*BONUS TRACKS:
Roy Eldridge (tp), Stan Getz (ts on 16 only), Oscar Peterson (p)
Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), Gus Johnson (d).
Paris, France, May 1, 1958.

Tracks:

01 I STILL LOVE HIM SO 5:46
02 THE MOON IS LOW 6:06
03 I MISSED MY HAT 5:19
04 BALLAD MEDLEY: I REMEMBER YOU/ CHELSEA BRIDGE/
I'VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING 6:18
05 POLITE BLUES 8:35
06 CLOSE YOUR EYES 2:39
07 WHERE'S ART 4:06
08 I DON'T KNOW 4:36
09 STRIDING 4:36
10 WAILING 3:13
11 THE MOON IS LOW [78 version] 2:28
12 THE MOON IS LOW [alt tk] 3:09
13 I MISSED MY HAT [alt tk] 5:26
14 CLOSE YOUR EYES [alt tk] 2:42
15 BALLAD MEDLEY: I REMEMBER YOU/ CHELSEA BRIDGE/
I'VE GOT THE WORLD ON A STRING [alt tk] 5:44
16 LES TRICHEURS 3:14*
17 PHIL'S TUNE 4:22*

TOTAL TIME: 78:26

DOWN BEAT original review: URBANE JAZZ
“Two major soloists in full form backed by a firm, swinging rhythm section. The soul is there, and it’s not that ‘polite’ once you start listening beneath the surface.” (Nat Hentoff)