Someone once
jokingly referred to Jack Wilson as “everyone’s favorite unknown jazz pianist.”
It’s true, though, that for someone who recorded several albums for Blue Note
and a number of other labels, Wilson doesn’t get much love from the wider jazz
audience (if there is such a thing these days). I’ve sometimes wondered, only
somewhat facetiously, if it’s because “Jack Wilson” is such a bland name. If his
contemporaries had nicknamed him “Sonny” or “Fats,” maybe it would have raised
his profile.
His profile
is well worth raising, though. Take Easterly
Winds, his second album for Blue
Note, recorded in 1967. With a front line of Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan, and the
lamentably little-known Garnett Brown on Trombone, and a rhythm section of Bob
Cranshaw and Billy Higgins, it has a lot going for it even before you hear the
music.
Most of the compositions
are Wilson’s, except for Frank Strozier’s Frank’s
Tune and Johnny Mandel’s ballad A
Time for Love, the latter of which features Wilson in a trio setting and
highlights both his excellent technique and feeling. I really like Wilson the
composer. Musicians looking for something fresh ought to investigate the title
tune and Nirvanna, both of which
have that spiritual jazz uplift feeling that means so much to me. Do It, the obligatory “let’s try for
another Sidewinder” effort gets nice and funky, with a solid bop gutbucket solo
by Brown. I’m a sucker for Jackie Mac’s astringent, passionate alto, and Lee
Morgan’s contributions are, as always, a reminder of how much we lost when he
died so young. On Children, with a
crisp Billy Higgins opening, is another fine track.
Maybe Jack Wilson
isn’t so neglected after all. In a couple of weeks, a previously unreleased
set, Call
Me -Jazz from the Penthouse,
featuring Wilson and vibraphonist Roy Ayers, is coming out on CD, and based on
their work together on other recordings, a great combination.
Here are Nirvanna and Easterly Winds for your delectation.
