Memorial 1
Wardell Gray was a giant of bop tenor playing, improvising lines that combined some of the relaxed flow ofLester Youngwith the kinetic invention ofCharlie Parker. His tenor duels withDexter Gordonare the stuff of legend, as is his mysterious death, his body dumped unceremoniously on the outskirts of Las Vegas in 1955. The first volume of Gray's recordings for Prestige provides a complete anatomy of a 1949 quartet session with the superb rhythm section of pianist Al Haig, bassist Tommy Potter, and drummerRoy Haynes, a unit then working regularly with Charlie Parker. The multiple takes of "Twisted" reveal the evolution of a bop masterpiece, a performance that has been further immortalized inAnnie Ross's vocal version of Gray's improvisation (available onKing Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings). The final four tracks come from a 1953 session led by vibraphonistTeddy Charles, with strong contributions from Gray and another brilliant and doomed bopper, the youngSonny Clark.--Stuart Broomer