Wardell Gray - Memorial Volume One

Originally released as two LPs and then a two-LP set, tenorman Wardell Gray's Prestige recordings are now available as two CDs that have been expanded by the inclusion of alternate takes only previously available on the collector's Misterioso label.

The music on this particular CD is taken from two sessions: a quartet outing with pianist Al Haig, bassist Tommy Potter, and drummer Roy Haynes, and a sextet session with pianist Sonny Clark, vibraphonist Teddy Charles, and the young altoist Frank Morgan. The former date is highlighted by the famous "Twisted," which Annie Ross would soon record in a vocalese version. This CD actually has four versions of "Twisted" (along with seven of "Southside"), so there is a bit of repetition, but the great tenor Wardell Gray is heard throughout in prime form.

Scott Yanow ~ AllMusicGuide