Some Extended John Gray Soloing

[jmgalich]

I knew John Gray from playing in Shearing's quintet in the 1960s, so I was happy to find this live recording from Santa Monica that includes Gray. What's cool about it is that, unlike Shearing's studio recordings, he gives extended soloing times to the other quintet members on the up-tempo tunes. (Gary Burton has previously stated elsewhere that only Shearing would play on ballads). In addition to our hero, Gray, this version of the quintet also includes Gary Burton on vibes, Vernel Fournier on drums and Bill Yancey on bass.

The video has chapters, making it easier to navigate. The faster tunes are Walkin', Love is Just Around the Corner and an original composition, Bel Aire. Gray is the first soloist in each of these songs; "Love is..." has his longest solo at about 2.3 minutes, if my calculations are correct.

Enjoy!

John Galich

[nyc chaz]

I'm a big John Gray and Shearing fan.That's a great album without a doubt.If i remember right,Shearing fired his then current guitarist just so he could have John Gray on this live session.