Following up their excellent set of
Billy Eckstine's 1944-1945 sides, Classics' has now brought together more of the bandleader's prime bebop-era material on this disc of 1946-1947 material. Once again,
Eckstine is backed by some of the day's top players, namely
Miles Davis,
Fats Navarro,
Kenny Dorham,
Sonny Stitt,
Gene Ammons, and
Art Blakey. The highlights abound, including an update of
Eckstine's early-'40s hit with the
Earl Hines band, "The Jitney Man"; excellent readings of "Without a Song" and "In the Still of the Night"; and a riveting go at
Dizzy Gillespie's bop classic, "Oo Bop Sh'bam." Presaging his subsequent fame as a grand ballad singer, the collection also features early orchestra cuts like "My Silent Love" and "All the Things You Are," all featuring the singer's lush baritone against some slightly cloying string charts. Finally, the show ends in intimate fashion, as
Eckstine takes up the trombone -- don't worry, he sings too -- in a small combo featuring tenor saxophonist
Wardell Gray. A pure delight.
–
Stephen Cook, Rovi