Artist: Cat Anderson
Album: Cat Anderson Plays W.C. Handy (The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions)
Genre: Swing
Label: Black & Blue
Released: 1997
Quality: FLAC (tracks+.cue)
Tracklist:
- Yellow Dog Blues (Handy) - 4:41
- Ole Miss (Handy) - 3:41
- Careless Love (Loveless Love) (Handy) - 4:31
- Beale Street Blues (Handy) - 4:16
- Saint Louis Blues (Handy) - 4:26
- Hesitating Blues (Handy) - 4:34
- Aunt Hagar's Blues (Handy) - 4:03
- Harlem Blues (Anderson) - 5:21
- Memphis Blues (Handy) - 5:14
- Aunt Hagar's Blues (take 1) (Handy) - 3:59
- Harlem Blues (take 1) (Anderson) - 5:13
- Memphis Blues (take 3) (Handy) - 5:26
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- Personnel:
- Cat Anderson - trumpet
- Norris Turney - alto saxophone
- Harold Ashby - tenor saxophone
- Booty Wood - trombone
- Philippe Baudoin, Andre Persiany (#3,4,6) - piano
- Aaron Bell - bass
- Sam Woodyard - drums
Cat Anderson only led a scattering of sessions throughout his career, and this particular set (reissued on CD in 1997) was only his second date as a leader since 1965. For a tribute to the music of W.C. Handy, Anderson performs nine Handy classics (including "Careless Love," "Beale Street Blues," "St. Louis Blues," and "Memphis Blues"), plus three alternate takes that were released for the first time in this reissue. Anderson, arguably the greatest of all high-note trumpeters, mostly plays in the middle-register during this set, but he cuts loose in the stratosphere now and then to remind listeners who he is, most notably on the opening "Yellow Dog Blues." On a swing date that sometimes hints at Dixieland, Anderson takes solo honors while being assisted by ex-Ellingtonians altoist Norris Turney, tenor saxophonist Harold Ashby, trombonist Booty Wood, bassist Aaron Bell, and drummer Sam Woodyard. Philippe Baudoin or Andre Persiany is on piano. A near classic.
Review by Scott Yanow