Rusty Bryant - Blues & Rhythm Series 5182: The Chronological Rusty Bryant 1952-1954 (2007)

The Classics BLUES & RHYTHM SERIES 1952-1954 installment for jump-blues saxophone man Rusty Bryant collects 21 tracks recorded for the Dot label. A jazzman by training, Bryant was playing a decidedly raw version of the form at a time when the complex harmonic structures of bebop were all the rage. The live takes of "Castle Rock" and "Night Train" that kick off the set, however, explode with the driving energy of the earliest R&B/rock-&-roll groups. While it might come across as simple stuff compared to what Charlie Parker was doing, the music brims with such joy and zest it's difficult not to fall quickly in love with it. ~AMG