Saturday, March 10, 2018

Billy Strayhorn and His Orchestra Cue For Saxophone [1959]


Master Jazz Recordings MJR 8116 (Felsted Series)

Composer/arranger/pianist Billy Strayhorn led surprisingly few sessions throughout his career, and this was only his second full-length album. Actually, the main star is altoist Johnny Hodges, while Strayhorn (who plays piano on the seven songs) only co-wrote two basic tunes ("Cue's Blue Now" and "Watch Your Cue") with Hodges and played a fairly minor role. Also in the septet are three fellow Ellingtonians (trumpeter Shorty Baker, trombonist Quentin Jackson and clarinetist Russell Procope), along with bassist Al Hall and drummer Oliver Jackson. The results are a fine mainstream session with highlights including "Gone With the Wind," the ten-minute "Cue's Blue Now" and "Rose Room."

Tracklist:
01 Cue's Blue Now
02 Gone With The Wind
03 Cherry
04 Watch Your Cue
05 You Brought A New Kind of Love To Me
06 When I Dream of You
07 Rose Room

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