Gigi Gryce - The Classic Albums 1955-1960 (2020)

Gigi Gryce was a giant of the hard-bop movement in the 1950s, a celebrated and in-demand sideman but a bandleader insufficiently recognized for his skills in that arena. This collection brings together eight of his best recordings as a leader, originally issued on labels like Savoy, Riverside, and New Jazz. The first disc consists of material written or arranged for biggish bands, including some great tunes with Thelonious Monk, some of them relatively obscure Monk compositions like ''Shuffle Boil'' and ''Brake's Sake''; there is also a wonderfully hard-swinging uptempo version of ''Over the Rainbow.'' Disc 2 features two late-1950s albums that find Gryce leading tight, disciplined, and powerfully swinging small combos that include the likes of trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Hank Jones, and drummer Art Taylor and that continue his practice of playing ballads as up numbers note in particular his explosive bebop treatment of ''Love for Sale.'' On his self-titled album from 1958, he is multitracked on various saxophones and flutes, creating the sound of a much larger ensemble than the quartet in the studio; his tenor solo on ''It Don't Mean a Thing'' is especially noteworthy. (I'm not sure we really needed a celeste obbligato on ''My Ideal,'' but Gryce's playing on that cut is lovely.) And one of the things you really notice, listening to these eight albums end to end, is that while Gryce has always been justly celebrated for his writing, he was equally creative and adept as an arranger. This might not be an absolutely essential set for every jazz collection, but it's certainly recommendable. ~ Rick Anderson