They called him 'Mister Five-By-Five,' an apt description of Jimmy Rushing's rather rotund physique.
A blues shouter in the classic Kansas City tradition, Rushing had a big, booming voice, the kind that could easily hold its own against the big bands of the day (Rushing spent 15 years fronting Basie’s band).
Here’s he’s matched with saxophonists Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, both boisterous players who revel in the ample opportunities each is given to strut their stuff, blowing with controlled abandon on a largely blues-based collection recorded at various locations in New York (exact details are a bit sketchy). It was, like many working bands, a revolving aggregation depending on who was available week-by-week, but all had played together often enough and were professional enough to sound like a loose but well-rehearsed outfit.
Front and center is Rushing, of course, with that big, big voice and exquisite blue phrasing. But it’s the interplay between the vocals and the two saxes, the sheer, spontaneous artistry as the three weave a tasteful musical tapestry enlivened by soaring solos of delicate grace and gritty passion, that makes this music so special. It’s the sound of communication, of a musical conversation that includes rather than excludes the audience – a warm, inviting sound, captured perfectly here, of a band adored by and feeding off an appreciative crowd.
Material includes jazzy fare the likes of “Deed I Do,” Gee Baby, Ain’t I Good To You,” and “I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me,” while blues numbers include “I Want A Little Girl,” “Goin’ To Chicago,” “Everyday I Have The Blues,” and “Good Morning Blues.” Rushing takes a break to let Cohn and Sims co-lead instrumentals “The Red Door” and “It’s Noteworthy.” It’s all upbeat and lively – this is jazz from back when it was still very much the music of the masses, intended for entertainment and designed for dancing and romancing – in short, the soundtrack to a memorable night out.
Thanks to the restoration efforts of HighNote Records’ Joe Fields, that’s just what’s on hand here – a superb almost-hour of rowdy and rollicking yet elegantly sophisticated music aimed equally at the head and the feet, lovely to listen to yet hard to sit still through.
Wonderful!
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