This is an exceptional Hard Bop album, released in 1960 from another less known Jazz pianist Freddie Redd. This quintet he put together was extraordinary, especially on the saxophones. A dynamic duel of two greats, Jackie McLean (Alto) and Tina Brooks (Tenor). And of course, the rest of the cast is amazing, Paul Chambers (Bass) and Louis Hayes (Drums). “Shades of Redd” will be featured for a week or so and then placed in the Hard Bop playlist. Check the schedule link for play times, enjoy!
About the album:
Digitally remastered using 20-bit technology by Ron McMaster. This is part of Blue Note’s Limited Edition Connoisseur series. SHADES OF REDD is part of the seemingly endless stream of bop and post-bop albums released on Blue Note in the 1960s, and as such is easy to overlook. That, however, would be a mistake, as SHADES OF REDD is a gleaming gem of a find. With saxophonists Jackie McLean and Tina Brooks in the front line, pianist Freddie Redd leads a rhythm section through nine blues-inflected bop numbers of his own composition. Cool, elegant, and with plenty of swing factor, SHADES OF REDD might sound, theoretically, like any other disc from the period, but this is one of the sets where the elements came together perfectly. Jazz fans of nearly any stripe would do well to pick this up…….Read More
Biography of Freddie Redd:
A classic bop pianist and a composer of haunting melodies, Freddie Redd has had an episodic career, with high points followed by periods in which he maintained a low profile. After a period in the Army (1946-1949), Redd worked with drummer Johnny Mills and then in New York played with Tiny Grimes (with whom he recorded), Cootie Williams, Oscar Pettiford, and the Jive Bombers. Redd, who appeared with both jazz and early R&B groups, recorded his debut as a leader for Prestige in 1955 (reissued in the OJC series), appeared on dates led by Gene Ammons and Art Farmer, and toured Sweden in 1956 with Ernestine Anderson and Rolf Ericson, cutting an obscure trio set in Sweden for the Metronome label. When he returned to the U.S., Redd settled for a time in San Francisco, where he worked as the house pianist at Bop City and recorded for Riverside. He found his greatest fame when he wrote the music for the play The Connection. He acted and played in the landmark show in New York, London, and Paris, was in the film, and recorded the music for Blue Note……Learn More
