Contemporary Records Acoustic Sounds Series

Trumpeter Howard McGhee, after spending much of the 1950s only partly active in music (due to drug problems), made a full-fledged comeback in the early '60s only to find his bop-oriented music out of fashion. This Contemporary set was McGhee's finest recording of the period, a quartet outing with brilliant pianist Phineas Newborn, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Shelly Manne. Although tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards is not on the date, two of his compositions (his famous "Sunset Eyes" and a tribute to the trumpeter, "Maggie's Back in Town") are fully explored by the quartet. Other titles include three standards plus McGhee's original blues "Demon Chase." This is a perfect starting point for listeners not familiar with the underrated (and often overlooked) Howard McGhee.

A1        Demon Chase    7:50
A2        Willow Weep For Me    4:20
A3        Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise    3:13
A4        Sunset Eyes    5:10
B1        Maggie's Back In Town    10:36
B2        Summertime    3:11
B3        Brownie Speaks    8:03