Tab Smith - Ace High (1992) CD-Rip

During 1951-57, Tab Smith recorded extensively for the United label, and although he was initially popular (due to the hit record "Because of You"), nearly half of the 90 titles he cut went unissued. Delmark in their Tab Smith CD series plans to eventually come out with all of the performances. Their second Tab Smith release has 20 selections, including five songs being released for the first time. Smith, a former swing stylist who was best known in the R&B market during the 1950s, was not a honker like many others in the genre, and his mixture of relatively gentle stomps and ballads is appealing. The distinctive altoist (who takes four vocals) is often joined by Sonny Cohn (mistakenly listed as "Sammy Cohn") or Irving Woods on trumpet and Leon Washington or Charlie Wright on tenor, along with a rocking rhythm section, on four complete sessions from 1952-53. Fun if not essential music.


Tracks:

01. Cottage for Sale (3:28)
02. Sunny Side of the Street (2:42)
03. Tis Autumn (2:55)
04. Teddy's Brannin' (2:50)
05. Strange (3:00)
06. These Foolish Things (2:47)
07. Ace High (2:30)
08. Auf Wiedersehn (2:47)
09. Cuban Boogie (2:26)
10. My Mother's Eyes (3:13)
11. I've Had the Blues All Day (2:46)
12. You Belong to Me (2:57)
13. Red Hot and Blue (2:36)
14. A Bit of Blues (2:58)
15. Pennies from Heaven (2:54)
16. Seven Up (2:56)
17. I Live True to You (3:10)
18. Cherry (2:54)
19. My Baby (2:52)
20. Closin' Time (3:11)

Personnel:

Tab Smith - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, vocals (#5,11,17,19)
Sonny Cohn, Irving Woods - trumpet
Leon Washington, Charlie Wright - tenor saxophone
Lavern Dillon, Teddy Brannon - piano
Wilfred Middlebrooks - bass
Walter Johnson - drums
Louis Blackwell - vocals (#11,15)
Recorded at Universal Recording Studio on February 26, 1952 - April 23, 1953.