Gene Ammons - Nice An' Cool (1961) [2017 Vinyl]

A 1961 set of standards heavy on the ballads, Nice An' Cool is prime Gene Ammons. In front of a sympathetic piano-bass-drums trio (Richard Wyands, Doug Watkins, and the great J.C. Heard, respectively), Ammons' brilliantly soulful tenor saxophone really stretches out on the familiar melodies, but the relatively concise arrangements (all of the eight tracks are between three and eight minutes, with most hovering around the five-minute mark) don't allow him to wander too far afield as he occasionally does on less structured sessions. Nice An' Cool is first and foremost a mood album, with the unity of sound more important than the individual performances, but Ammons particularly shines on the extended opener, a tender, restrained version of The Music Man's "Til There Was You" that sidesteps the mawkishness of many interpretations in favor of a dignified grace. The backing trio is excellent throughout.

Tracks:

A1. Till There Was You
A2. Answer Me, My Love
A3. Willow Weep For Me
A4. Little Girl Blue

B1. Something I Dreamed Last Night
B2. Something Wonderful
B3. I Remember You
B4. Someone To Watch Over Me

Personnel:

Gene Ammons, tenor saxophone
Richard Wyands, piano
Doug Watkins, bass
J. C. Heard, drums