Clark Terry & Bob Brookmeyer Quintet - Complete Live Recordings 1962-1965 [2CD Remastered] (2013)

This is the spirited Clark Terry-Bob Brookmeyer quintet that was the talk of the town from when they began playing regularly in New York in 1961 until 1965. Their exuberance and joy in playing was palpable, with Terry, mostly on flugelhorn, tearing through solo after solo with his characteristic dancing figures and rich, glowing tone. Brookmeyer, not quite the self-starting soloist that Terry is, usually has to lay a foundation on which to build his solos, but that done, he is as ruggedly convincing as Terry. Three different, but strong rhythm sections are heard here. The first Half Note session in New York features the original group with pianist Eddie Costa, a confident, utterly original soloist, completing an ideal rhythm section with bassist Joe Benjamin and drummer Osie Johnson. On the London session a local team the versatile Laurie Holloway on piano, bassist Rick Laird and drummer Alan Ganley on drums provided reliable, apt and solid support. On the remaining Half Note dates, Roger Kellaway, the group s pianist since May 1963, is a delight throughout, drummer Dave Bailey is impeccable and Bill Crow anchors on bass. The nonpareil tenor man, Zoot Sims, in splendid form, replaces Terry on two tracks to add to the value of this formidable set of live recordings.