Eddie Jefferson - Letter from Home (1962) [2021] Hi-Res

This album (which augments the original LP program with two alternate takes) is a fine showcase for vocalese master Eddie Jefferson. Backed by either a tentet or a quintet that gives solo space to altoist James Moody and the tenor of Johnny Griffin, Jefferson sings his lyrics to such numbers as "Take the 'A' Train," "Billie's Bounce," "I Cover the Waterfront," "Parker's Mood" (the latter differs from the famous lines immortalized by King Pleasure), "A Night in Tunisia," and "Body and Soul," among others. Jefferson is in prime form and these boppish renditions as a whole form a near classic.
Honeypie present a reissue of Eddie Jefferson’s Letter From Home, originally released on Riverside Records in 1962. Letter From Home was the debut album of jazz vocalist Eddie Jefferson. Often credited as the founder of vocalese, Jefferson wrote memorable lyrics to classic jazz standards including “Parker’s Mood”, “Lady Be Good”, “So What”, “Freedom Jazz Dance,” and others. Eddie Jefferson is backed here by a bunch of jazz heavyweights, all at the top of their game. Among them: tenor sax masters Johnny Griffin and James Moody, trumpeter Clark Terry, pianists Winton Kelly and Joe Zawinul, bassist Sam Jones, and two hyper swinging drummers, Louis Hayes and Osie Johnson. This is an often underrated vocal jazz album, a hidden gem ready to be unearthed.

Tracks:

01 - Letter from Home 03:02
02 - Take the "A" Train 03:12
03 - Billie's Bounce 02:47
04 - Back in Town 03:09
05 - Soft and Furry 02:51
06 - A Night in Tunisia 03:34
07 - Things Are Getting Better 03:11
08 - Keep Walkin' 02:58
09 - I Feel So Good 03:11
10 - Bless My Soul (Parker's Mood) 03:27

Personnel:

Eddie Jefferson - vocals
James Moody - alto saxophone, flute
Arthur Clarke - baritone saxophone
Johnny Griffin - tenor saxophone
Jimmy Cleveland - trombone
Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Joe Newman - trumpet
Joe Zawinul, Junior Mance, Wynton Kelly - piano
Barry Galbraith - guitar
Sam Jones - bass
Louis Hayes, Osie Johnson - drums