Personnel:
Curtis Amy (ts), Roy Brewster, Lou Blackburn (tb), Paul Bryant, Richard 'Groove' Holmes (org), Bumble Bee Slim (vcl, g), Clarence Jones (b), Jimmy Miller, Leroy Henderson (d)
Reference: FSRCD 767
Bar code: 8427328607674
Curtis Amy was an accomplished Texas tenor who moved freely and productively between straightahead jazz, blues and rhythm and blues, and both aspects of his musical personality are fruitfully deployed on these enjoyable early 60s West Coast sessions. On the first, Meetin Here, he brings a fiery conviction to bear on a relaxed, grooving date with organist Paul Bryant. Sharing the front line with them is the solid trombone of Roy Brewster, and the results have the hand-inglove feel of a group to which cooking is as natural as breathing. Whether on a ballad or up-tempo driving, Amy is the main man, bringing a declamatory edge to his tone that reinforces his expressiveness.
After this, the tenors career soon shifted into higher gear. Pacific Jazz producer Richard Bock used him in an all-star jazz group to back the veteran blues singer and guitarist Bumble Bee Slim on the second session of this set. Recorded a year later under Slims leadership as part of the album Back in Town!, it offered, in addition to Slims unpretentious, relaxed, and undeniably expressive way with slow, medium and up-tempo blues tunes, gripping soloing by Curtis Amy, and fine contributions by organist Groove Holmes and trombonist Lou Blackburn.
"Tenor-saxophonist Curtis Amy and organist Paul Bryant are the co-leaders of Meetin' Here (Fresh Sound 767), a run through of blues and soulful standards by a quintet also including trombonist Roy Brewster, bassist Clarence Jones and drummer Jimmy Miller. The music is fine modern mainstream jazz from 1961, full of passion and solid swing.
The second half of this CD has the remainder of the Bumble Bee Smith album, with Amy, organist Richard "Groove" Holmes, drummer Leroy Henderson and sometimes trombonist Lou Blackburn bringing some jazz to the blues date."
—Scott Yanow · Jazz Around Town (May, 2013)
Los Angeles Jazz Scene
