Wardell Gray - Central Avenue

I really dig Wardell Gray. I love the way he embraces bebop and swing both and yet manages to be the precursor to that whole west coast sound.

Gray later became semi-famous for his battles with Dex but I think these sessions stand up as well as anything he did.

Most have been reissued in various forms but were originally released as Prestige 78's.

Everything here comes from a Prestige twofer released the year I graduated high school. I can't imagine how I missed it. Due to time constraints I have not included a couple of alternate takes.

Wardell Gray
Central Avenue

1. Twisted*
2. Easy Living*
3. Southside*
4. Sweet Lorraine*
5. Scrapple from The Apple #
   
6. Move #
   
7. A Sinner Kissed an Angel ~
8. Blue Gray ~
9. Grayhound ~
10. Treadin ~
11. April Skies ^
    
12. Bright Boy ^
    
13. Jackie ^
    
14. Farmer's Market^
15. Sweet and lovely ^
16. Lover man ^
17. The Man I Love +
    
18. Lavonne +
19. So Long Broadway +
20. Paul's Cause +
21. 
    

Wardell Gray - tenor sax with
Al Haig - piano
Tommy Potter - bass
Roy Haynes - drums
Clark Terry - trumpet
Sonny Criss - alto sax
Dexter Gordon - tenor sax
Jimmy Bunn - piano
Billy Hadnott - bass
Chuck Thompson - drums
Phil Hill - piano
John Richardson - bass
Art Madigan - drums
Art Farmer - trumpet
Hampton Hawes - piano
Harper Crosby - bass
Lawrence Marable - drums
Robert Collier - conga
Frank Morgan - alto sax
Sonny Clark - piano
Teddy Charles - vibes
Dick Nivison - bass

* nyc - 11/11/49
# hula hut, LA - live - 8/27/50
~ Detroit - 4/25/50
^ LA - 1/21/52
+ LA - 2/20/53


Prestige P-24062