Jimmy Raney - In Three Attitudes

Two of Jimmy Raney's most remarkable albums make up this set. The performances on the first feature Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn, and Red Mitchell, all felicitous choices, since, in addition to being compatible and inventive soloists, their presence adds to the tonal palette and avoids the similarity in tonal color of most guitar records. But Raney also shows that his superiority in the quick, alert swinging of the up tempo tunes is balanced by his lyric work on the ballads.

For the second album he teamed up once again with Brookmeyer, adding Osie Johnson, Teddy Kotick, adding pianists Dick Katz and Hank Jones, who combine taste and imagination with swinging time, on four tunes each. Among the several virtues of this quality example of the art of improvisation on relatively challenging thematic-and-chordal structures is the lucidity and logic with which all here approach, develop, and round off their solos. And, as with all of Raney's work, the music is polished, coherent and formidably well conceived and performed.

tracklist -
1. So in Love (Cole Porter) 5:36
2. Indian Summer (Victor Herbert) 4:28
3. Fanfare (Bob Brookmeyer) 3:59
4. Last Night When We Were Young (Arlen-Harburg) 5:19
5. On the Rocks (Jimmy Raney) 4:59
6. Passport to Pimlico (Johnny Mandel) 4:13
7. Strike Up the Band (George Gershwin) 4:52
8. Up in Quincys Room (Gryce) 5:26
9. Isn't It Romantic (Rodgers-Hart) 4:06
10. How Long Has This Been Going On (George Gershwin) 4:31
11. No Male for Me (Bob Brookmeyer) 4:19
12. The Flag Is Up (Jimmy Raney) 4:11
13. Get Off That Roof (Bob Brookmeyer) 4:07
14. Jim's Tune (Jimmy Raney) 4:02
15. No One but Me (Jimmy Raney) 4:58
16. Too Late Now (Lane-Lerner) 4:17

Sources:
Tracks #1-8, from the album "Jimmy Raney In Three Attitudes" (ABC-Paramount ABC167)
Attitude 1: Bob Brookmeyer
Attitude 2: Al Cohn
Attitude 3: Red Mitchell
Tracks #9-16, from the album "Jimmy Raney Featuring Bob Brookmeyer" (ABC-Paramount ABC129)

Personnel on tracks #1, 4 & 8:
Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb), John Williams (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Red Mitchell (b), Osie Johnson (d).
Recorded in New York City, May 14, 1956

Personnel on tracks #3 & 6:
Al Cohn (ts), John Williams (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Whitey Mitchell (b), Jack Edie (d).
Recorded in New York City, May 23, 1956

Personnel on tracks #2, 5 & 7:
Hall Overton (p), Jimmy Raney (g), Red Mitchell (g), Osie Johnson (d).
Recorded in New York City, June 15, 1956

Personnel on tracks #9, 10, 13 & 14:
Bob Brookmeyer (v-tb), Dick Katz (p), Jimmy raney (g), Teddy Kotick (b), Osie Johnson (d).
Recorded in New York City, July 23, 1956

Personnel on tracks #10, 12, 15 & 16:
Same as above, but Hank Jones (p), replaces Dick Katz.
Recorded in New York City, August 1, 1956