EDDIE ‘LOCKJAW’ DAVIS: FOUR CLASSIC ALBUMS PLUS (VERY SAXY / CALLIN’ THE BLUES / COUNT BASIE PRESENTS / GOODIES FROM EDDIE DAVIS) (2 CD) AVID

AVID Jazz here presents four classic Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis albums plus including original LP liner notes on a finely re-mastered and low priced double CD.
“Very Saxy”; Callin’ The Blues”; “Count Basie Presents”; “Goodies From Eddie Davis” & 5 of 12 tracks from “Modern Jazz Expressions”
For the 1959 date “Very Saxy” Davis is joined by legendary tenor saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Arnett Cobb and Buddy Tate along with Shirley Scott on Hammond Organ, George Duvivier on bass and Arthur Edgehill on drums. Four veteran sax players getting together as they did in the old days for what was known as “the battle of the bands” where one band would try to blow the other off stage! This time with the benefit of maturity the session was a much more cordial affair all be it a hard blowing one! “Callin’ The Blues”! Where jazz meets blues in a 1958 session, joining Davis are J.C.Higginbotham on trombone, Tiny Grimes on guitar, Ray Bryant on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass and Osie Johnson on drums. For “Count Basie presents Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis & Joe Newman” the great band leader and pianist joins Davis on 9 out of 10 selections on this 1957 recording date. The Count is called upon early and often to support a fine group of seasoned musicians. Although the Basie name garners the initial attention this is however an Eddie Davis album where the tenor sax man steps out to assume centre stage for a more highly controlled set. “Goodies From Eddie Davis“ takes us back to 1952/3 where Davis is joined in ’52 by Bill Doggett on organ, Oscar Pettiford on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums and in ’53 by Eddie Bonnemere on organ, John Simmons on bass and Charlie Rice on drums. Our final date is from 1955 “Modern Jazz Expressions” features Davis and his Trio with Doc Bagby on organ (one of the first men to feature the organ as a jazz instrument) and Charlie Rice on drums.
All four albums plus have been digitally re-mastered.

CD1
1-5: ‘Very Saxy’
1. Very Saxy
2. Lester Leaps In
3. Fourmost
4. Foot Pattin’
5. Light And Lovely
6-9: ‘Callin’ The Blues’
6. Callin’ The Blues
7. Blue Tiny
8. Grimes’ Times
9. Air Mail Special

CD2
1-10: ‘Count Basie Presents’
1. Broadway
2. Don’t Blame Me
3. A Misty One
4. Save Your Love For Me
5. Telegraph
6. Farouk
7. Street Of Dreams
8. Swingin’ Till The Girls Come Home
9. Marie
10. Lock Up
11-18: ‘Goodies From Eddie Davis’
11. I Only Have Eyes For You
12. Chihuahua
13. Secret Love
14. Nightingale
15. Bewitched
16. My Blue Heaven
17. Blues In My Heart
18. Hey Lock
19. Dizzy Atmosphere from Modern Jazz Expressions
20. It’s The Talk Of The Town from Modern Jazz Expressions
21. Johnny Come Lately from Modern Jazz Expressions
22. You Go To My Head from Modern Jazz Expressions
23. Bean-o from Modern Jazz Expressions