Clark Terry: Clark Terry and His Orchestra Featuring Paul Gonsalves

Having a recognizable sound is one of the most important attributes in jazz, and Clark Terry is instantly recognizable for his prodigious technique, wit, sensitivity and swing. Clark Terry and His Orchestra Featuring Paul Gonsalves (Storyville 8322; 61:47) is a reissue of a deeply satisfying 1959 date that originally came out on French Decca. Terry and Gonsalves work hand-in-glove together, trading fours on an effervescent “Serenade to a Bus Seat,” and sharing the theme of Babs Gonzales’ dissonant ballad “Lonely One.” Special mention should be made of the two bittersweet versions of “Pannonica,” the relaxed, extended “Blues for the Champ of Champs,” and the long, dancing trumpet solo on “Pea-Eyes” (yes, this is the same tune called “Pea-Eye” on Terry’s Riverside date In Orbit from the year before with Thelonious Monk). Pianist Raymond Fol plays the intros to Monk’s “Pannonica,” and it’s good to hear bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Sam Woodyard outside of the Ellington band setting we so often hear them in.

Originally Published May 1, 2002