No Cover No Minimum
Billy Eckstine defined the art of male ballad singing in jazz in the 1940s with the rich depths and soaring highs of his voice, his consummate phrasing, and his control of the subtlest pitch inflections.No Cover, No Minimumis a 1960 live recording from the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas, and it's one of the great jazz vocal albums of the period, for Eckstine's delivery of medium and up-tempo swing tunes, as well as his ballads. After an irritating introductory flagwaver, "Have a Song on Me," Eckstine and the band settle into a strong program that includes twoEllingtonmedleys with stellar versions of "Prelude to a Kiss" and "I Let a Song Go out of My Heart." The Ducal presence is strong here, with Eckstine also including a rendering ofBilly Strayhorn's "Lush Life" that's unusually faithful to the composer's original. The great ballad performances here include "Moonlight in Vermont," Eckstine's pitch control glowing in the final notes, and a superb version ofErroll Garner's "Misty." A flexible small band, with pianist Bobby Tucker responsible for the arrangements and musical direction, supports Eckstine wonderfully. Trombonist Bucky Manieri has a good solo spot on "I Want a Little Girl" and Eckstine himself plays convincing trumpet solos on "Lady Luck" and "'Deed I Do."--Stuart Broomer