Sonny Red - Out Of The Blue [1959-60, Blue Note]- Capitol CD w. BONUS

Sonny Red (as) Wynton Kelly (p) Paul Chambers (b) Roy Brooks (d)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, December 5, 1959

1. Bluesville
2. Stay as Sweet as You Are
3. I've Never Been in Love Before
4. Nadia
5. Blues in the Pocket
6. Alone Too Long

Sonny Red (as) Wynton Kelly (p) Sam Jones (b) Jimmy Cobb (d)
Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, January 23, 1960

7. Lope
8. Stairway to the Stars
9. Crystal
10. Lost April
11. You're Sensational
12. Blues for Kokee
13. You're Driving Me Crazy

Review by Scott Yanow
Sonny Red, a fine altoist inspired by Charlie Parker and Jackie McLean, never really made it in jazz, and some of his recordings are rather uninspired. However, that does not hold true for his Blue Note album, which has been reissued on this 1996 CD along with five previously unissued selections. Red, who is joined by pianist Wynton Kelly, either Sam Jones or Paul Chambers on bass, and either Roy Brooks or Jimmy Cobb on drums, never sounded better on records. He performs mostly little-known standards (along with six of his originals) and displays a fair amount of originality and a great deal of potential that was never really fulfilled.
Recommended.