Earl Hines/Paul Gonsalves - It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing

Here's a gem I don't play enough. A straight forward session with half of the tunes being Ellington compositions, I doubt you'll find much in the way of surprises. Yet the whole session exudes that joie de vivre that separates off the cuff recordings from the completely structured recordings we most often hear these days. It had to be quite something to arrive at a studio and hear two masters just go on without any preconceived arrangements, just a handful of songs they wanted to record together.
I always perceive Hines in a solo format. I'm not sure he always plays well with others but this session belays those fears.

My cover is different that the one pictured above and is as credited in this post.
Here is BL-306

1. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
2. Over The Rainbow
3. What Am I Here For?
4. Moten Swing
5. Blues Sands
6. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good

Paul Gonsalves - tenor sax
Earl Hines - piano
Al Hall - bass
Jo Jones - drums

produced by Stanley Dance and Michael James
Recorded in NYC 12/15/70
Blues Sands was recorded 11/29/72 and is an unaccompanied piano solo.

1974 Black Lion Records