When Lenny McBrowne and the 4 Souls began gigging in Sacramento and San Francisco clubs they were critically hailed as the greatest promise for the future of West Coast jazz. The leader had gained much of his experience working with Harold Land and playing engagements with Sonny Rollins, Benny Golson and Curtis Fuller. His renowned finesse as a drummer was acquired while mastering the subtleties of his mentor, Max Roach.
In these sessions for Pacific Jazz and Riverside, he showed he had become one of the top drummers on the jazz scene, and his young musicians average age 25 swing hard as a unit. Terry Trotter, Don Sleet and Daniel Jackson are here on top of the demands he placed on them.
They also gave singer Gloria Smyth strong support in the session she recorded with them, lending distinctive backing to launch the career of this fine young talent. But what stands out here above all is the rare gift of cohesion, thoroughly mastered by Lenny McBrowne and the 4 Souls.
Tracklist
Total time: 90:54 min.
CD 1
01. Soul Sisters (Daniel Jackson) 6:25
02. Invitation (Bronislaw Kaper) 6:28
03. Dearly Beloved (Kern-Mercer) 4:48
04. Lazinka's Tune (Daniel Jackson) 6:25
05. Cerise (Daniel Jackson) 5:42
06. I Married an Angel (Rodgers-Hart) 2:47
07. McBrowne's Galaxy (Elmo Hope) 4:01
08. It Don't Mean a Thing (Ellington-Mills) 2:30
09. Sometimes I'm Happy (Youmans-Caesar) 3:27
10. Running Wild (Gibbs-Grey-Wood) 2:12
11. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child (Traditional) 2:02
CD 2
01. Saudi (Daniel Jackson) 4:30
02. No Consideration (Daniel Jackson) 5:42
03. I Don't Know the Melody (Daniel Jackson) 6:14
04. Like Someone in Love (Burke-Van Heusen) 5:25
05. Eastern Lights (Daniel Jackson) 7:40
06. Even Dozen (Daniel Jackson) 4:15
07. Tryin' and Cryin' (Daniel Jackson) 5:01
08. Chicago Preferred (Daniel Jackson) 4:37
Album details
Sources:
CD 1
Tracks #1-7, from "Lenny McBrowne & The 4 Souls" (Pacific Jazz ST-1)
Tracks #8-11, from Gloria Smyth's "Like Soul!" (World Pacific Stereo-1293)
CD 2
Tracks #1-8, originally issued in LP as "Eastern Lights" (Riverside RS 346)
Personnel:
Lenny McBrowne (d), Donald Sleet (tp), Daniel Jackson (ts), Terry Trotter (p), Herbie Lewis (b on CD-1), Jimmy Bond (b on CD-2). Gloria Smyth (vcl on CD-1 #8-11).
CD 1, Track #11 features only Gloria Smyth accompanied by Terry Trotter and Herbie Lewis.
CD 1, Recorded at Rex Productions Studio, Los Angeles, January 2, and March 21 (#8-11), 1960
CD 2, Recorded at United Recording Studios, Hollywood, on October 13, 1960
Sessions supervised by Dick Bock (CD 1) and Orrin Keepnews (CD 2)
This compilation produced for CD reissue by Jordi Pujol
Stereo · 24-Bit Digitally Remastered
Blue Moon Producciones Discograficas S.L.
