Joe Albany & Warne Marsh - The Right Combination (1990)

Although he was a pioneer of the bebop era and made a few isolated sides with Georgie Auld and Lester Young in 1945-1946, pianist Joe Albany can be heard on extremely few recordings before 1971. This CD reissue, which was actually a rehearsal, was Albany's only recorded date as a leader before the 1970s. The set of trios with tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh and bassist Bob Whitlock consists of seven jazz standards and, although not flawless, is of generally high quality. Marsh and Albany worked together quite well (their conceptions were similar), and these versions of such songs as Clifford Brown's "Daahoud," "Body and Soul," and "All the Things You Are" are quite rewarding. From the historical standpoint, this release is essential.