Sonny Criss - The Complete Imperial Sessions (Bonus Track Version) (2016)

Tracklist

CD1
01. Willow Weep for Me
02. These Foolish Things
03. Blue Friday
04. Sunday
05. More Than You Know
06. Easy Living
07. Alabamy Bound
08. Something's Gotta Give
09. West Coast Blues
10. Criss Cross
11. Ham's Blues
12. Sweet Georgia Brown
13. Summertime
14. Memories of You
15. Wailin' with Joe
16. How Deep Is the Ocean?
17. The Blues for Rose
18. The Man I Love
19. Until the Real Thing Comes Along
20. Blue Prelude
21. After You've Gone
22. Come Rain or Come Shine

CD2
01. Ornithology
02. If I Had You
03. I Love You
04. Anything Goes
05. Easy to Love
06. It's All Right with Me
07. In the Still of the Night
08. Love for Sale
09. Night and Day
10. Just One of Those Things
11. What Is This Thing Called Love?
12. I Get a Kick out of You
13. Sweet Lorraine (Bonus Track)
14. You Don't Know What Love Is (Bonus Track)
15. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise (Bonus Track)
16. Butt's Delight (Bonus Track)
17. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) [Bonus Track]
18. Sylvia (Bonus Track)
19. Indiana (Bonus Track)



This double disc reissue on Blue Note contains the three releases that alto saxophonist Sonny Criss did for Imperial: Jazz U.S.A., Go Man!, and Plays Cole Porter. These sessions were all recorded in 1956 at a time when Criss had honed his amazing bebop alto precision. These 34 performances contain only five of his originals and are surrounded by mainly standards. The bands consisted of solid lineups with Sonny Clark or Kenny Drew on piano; Barney Kessel on guitar; Leroy Vinnegar, Buddy Clark or Bill Woodson on bass; Larry Bunker on vibes; and Larance Marable or Chuck Thompson taking care of drumming duties. While Criss had a career that erratically spanned the '70s, these Imperial sessions (reissued in glorious mono) contained highly regarded performances of passionate blues, moving ballads, and energetic up-tempo pieces.

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