Ernie Henry - Last Chorus (1957) {Riverside-OJC} (ft. Lee Morgan)

Ernie Henry - Last Chorus (1957) {Riverside-OJC} (ft. Lee Morgan)

Jazz / Hard Bop / Saxophone

Ernie Henry was one of Riverside's earliest "discoveries." He recorded for the label, as a leader and as a sideman with Thelonious Monk and Kenny Dorham, for little more than a year before his sudden death at the end of 1957. The brilliant and unrealized promise of the young alto saxophonist, which was just beginning to be recognized (he was with Dizzy Gillespie's big band when he died), was dramatically exhibited on this final collection, one side of which is from an unfinished album featuring good friends and colleagues like Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. Ernie Henry was a promising alto saxophonist who passed away prematurely on December 29, 1957, when he was only 31. He had recorded his album Seven Standards and a Blues on September 30, and four songs for an uncompleted octet date on September 23. This CD reissue has the latter tunes (which feature trumpeter Lee Morgan; trombonist Melba Liston, who contributed "Melba's Tune"; tenor saxophonist Benny Golson; and pianist Wynton Kelly), an alternate take from the Seven Standards set ("Like Someone in Love"), a leftover track from the preceding year ("Cleo's Chant"), the solos of Thelonious Monk and Henry (from the lengthy "Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are"), and an alternate version of "S'posin'" taken from the altoist's final recording (a quartet outing with trumpeter Kenny Dorham). Overall, the music is fine and, surprisingly, does not have an unfinished air about it. It does make one wish that Ernie Henry had taken better care of his health, as he was just beginning to develop a sound of his own. Personnel: Ernie Henry - alto saxophone Kenny Dorham (tracks 5 & 8), Lee Morgan (tracks 1-4) - trumpet Melba Liston - trombone (tracks 1, 2 & 4) Benny Golson (tracks 1-4), Sonny Rollins (track 6) - tenor saxophone Cecil Payne - baritone saxophone (tracks 1, 2 & 4) Kenny Drew (track 8), Wynton Kelly (tracks 1-4 & 7), Thelonious Monk (track 6) - piano Paul Chambers (tracks 1-4), Eddie Mathias (track 5), Oscar Pettiford (track 6), Wilbur Ware (tracks 7 & 8) - bass G. T. Hogan (track 5), Philly Joe Jones (tracks 1-4 & 7), Max Roach (track 6), Art Taylor (track 8) - drums tracklist: 01 - Autumn Leaves 02 - Beauty And The Blues 03 - All The Things You Are 04 - Melba's Tune 05 - S'Posin' (alternate take) 06 - Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are (excerpt) 07 - Like Someone In Love (alternate take) 08 - Cleo's Chant