Black Forrest
Playing on the cusp of Kansas City swing and bebop, Jimmy Forrest fashioned his tone from St. Louis, a perfect spot to mix jazz languages, situated as it is between K.C. and the Big Apple. On this 1959 date, Forrest opens up standard jams like "These Foolish Things" and "What's New" and jumps inside with the help of a top-shelf unit: guitarist and fellow St. LouisanGrant Green(in his recording debut), drummerElvin Jones, pianistHarold Mabern, and bassist Gene Ramey. Forrest's tenor tone alternates between punchingly tough and waveringly singsong (à la the greatLester Young, who cut his own swath through K.C.). The tunes are all festively loose, except when they're touching. As for the band, little more can be said than their very names to underscore their position in the jazz canon.--Andrew Bartlett