RAY BRYANT
Somewhere In France (Label M)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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Though he's played behind a good number of the true legends of jazz, including Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young and Sonny Rollins, and has led some phenomenal trio sessions, Ray Bryant is perhaps at his very best when he's all alone on a stage with a piano, as he was in an anonymous nightclub somewhere in France the night this album was recorded in 1993.

At the end of that night, the soundman handed him a cassette, which went into the big bag of such cassettes that Bryant has collected over the years. When he mentioned that bag to his friend Joel Dorn, Dorn knew there was something in their that he needed for his new label, Label M. Many pleasant hours of listening later, this 13 song set was selected as the first of what we can only hope will be many releases of heretofore unheard performances by one of the great jazz pianists.

Boogie, cool, bop or stride, there doesn't seem to be any style Bryant can't play, and when he plays the blues he's without peer. There's plenty of blues here, and plenty of everything else. This is just a joy to sit down and listen to. Amazingly for an album mastered on a two buck tape with no eye to release, it sounds just great, too. I can't wait to hear what comes out of that bag next, but this one will make the wait a happy one.

Track List:

Take The "A" Train * Blues In G/Willow Weep For Me * Con Alma * Slow Freight * Jungletown Jubilee * Django * After Hours * When I Look In Your Eyes * Good Morning Heartache * In The Back Room * If I Could Just Make It Into Heaven * St. Louis Blues * Until It's Time For You To Go *

© 2000 - Shaun Dale