Dixieland Music

Pee wee was unique, no one really played clarinet the way he did...a true iconoclast..inventive and swingin'. This disc is excellent, and a must for pee wee fans and fans of great jazz. The no piano quartet puts a bit more focus on his clarinet, so this album provides another perspective to his art, more modern but still rooted in tradition. The recorded sound is superb as is the remastering (by Suha Gur- this guy might not be as well known as some other mastering engineers- but he does consistently excellent work). I've been waiting for this to come out, and it was worth the wait. Jazz collectors are gonna rejoice over this one... A one of a kind album by a one of a kind artist. Some complain the cd is too short, nowadays people feel cheated unless the disc includes "bonus tracks" or is a "twofer", but I think this is the only album he recorded for impulse and it is bargain priced. I also highly recommend "portrait of pee wee", available as a single cd or Lp, or as part of the twofer disc "swingin with pee wee".

I love listening to Pee Wee. I never took to Goodman or Shaw or DeFranco. They were simply too smooth and big time and clever in a seemingly calculated way. They could never soulfully satisfy me the way that Pee Wee does. He just put more heart into his special art. He doen't put out that sound perfect tone or have lighting speed on the horn, but his gravely tone, phrasing and heartfelt and enthusiastic interpretations are special. If you enjoy this one as much as I do, check out "Swingin' With Pee Wee."

Stretching. Open. Hyper-sensitive. And the recording! Sometimes it's like we can hear all the hollowness in the center of the clarinet body. Amazing to hear Pee Wee play Ornette, Coltrane, Monk (imagine his recording with Monk if it would've been put together anywhere nearly so carefully as this session was). Some of the more "avant" compositions are still treated as 12-bar blues, or simply as melodies,and so Pee Wee just does his thing, without really having to deal with either post - 50's changes playing, or post - changes playing!. But still, the absence of piano or guitar, the modern playing of George (bass) and Bedford (drums) and the intelligent, searching arrangements of Marshall Brown push Pee Wee to a height of lyricism and intensity. In other words, this CD is maybe not as modern as it's hyped-up to be, but it's still modern, or better than modern - timeless. And I definitely don't miss those Nixieland confreres.

The fact that as of this writing 20+ copies are available new and used at big discounts might be a warning sign. The big-concept selling point here is that on this album PWR was finally freed to be his highly original self,and played tunes by Ornette Coleman,Coltrane,and Monk (along with his more standard fare). However,on these supposed epochal encounters with the ultra-moderns,he does little more than state the themes as written,with no improvisation at all on two and minimal improvisation on the third. Critics whom I trust praised this highly,and I bought it on their recommendation--my mistake; don't make it!

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A fine session of cool jazz as a late framework for old-timer Pee Wee Russell. (Inflects the timbres of What Is There to Say? and Birth of the Cool .) Rhythm section good. Marshall Brown excellent on slide trombone and bass trumpet. Lighter atmosphere without staccato piano. Remastered sound excellent. All-around nice set. (Only drawback are short track times due to Pee Wee's advanced age.)
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