Rating:
Genre:
Jazz
Release Date: 06/13/1992
Run Time: 70:07
Founded in 1947,
Atlantic Records has been the home of some of
jazz's more important figures (as well as
blues). This compilation, originally issued as a two-fer LP, catches some of the excellent performances by the label's stable of
jazz pianists over a period of 35 years. The earliest track is from
Erroll Garner's first and only
Atlantic album,
Passport to Fame, a 1950 trio session where
Garner applies his captivating style to
"The Way You Look Tonight." The penultimate track on the album is from modernist
Don Pullen. In between, there are cuts from albums made by some of the top
jazz pianists, not only from that period, but whose work has stood the test of time and is still played regularly. It also shows that owners/producers
Ahmet and
Nesuhi Ertegun and
Herb Abramson were wise and sensible enough to find room for artists representing a wide diversity of styles, from
Garner through
Dave Brubeck to
Pullen and
Joe Zawinul. Wide stylistic berth allowances notwithstanding, for most of these artists their stint with the label was short, a stopping off place before landing contracts with a major recording studio such as
Columbia. The title is also a bit misleading in the sense the label never had some of the participants under contract. The cuts by
Thelonious Monk and
Bill Evans were from sessions headed by
Art Blakey and
Herbie Mann, respectively. But no matter how they got on the album, this collection of
jazz piano is unmatched for its breadth and depth.
~Dave Nathan, All Music Guide
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