Lionel Hampton Quintet CD

Personnel: Lionel Hampton (vibraphone); Buddy Defranco (clarinet); Oscar Peterson (piano); Ray Brown (bass); Buddy Rich (drums).
Producer: Norman Granz.
Reissue producer: Bryan Koniarz.
Recorded at Fine Sound, New York, New York on April 12-13, 1954. Originally released on Clef (628)/(642). Includes original liner notes by Norman Granz and reissue liner notes by Brian Priestly.
Digitally remastered by Kevin Reeves (Universal Mastering Studios-East).
In 1954, producer Norman Granz held a couple of marathon recording sessions featuring vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, pianist Oscar Peterson, bassist Ray Brown, drummer Buddy Rich, and (on April 13) clarinetist Buddy DeFranco. This set has three selections from the DeFranco date (a 17-plus-minute "Flying Home," the original "Je Ne Sais Pas," and "On the Sunny Side of the Street") and one from the earlier session ("April in Paris"). Hampton is typically exuberant throughout (grunting rather loudly during a few later ensemble choruses on "Flying Home"), DeFranco and Peterson are as swinging as usual, and the overall music is quite joyous. Even if "Flying Home" does not reach Granz's claim of being the best-ever version of the song (one misses the honking tenor and screaming trumpet), this is an excellent and rather spontaneous outing. [The Verve Master Edition also features the tracks "Don't Be That Way," "These Foolish Things," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "It's Only a Paper Moon."] ~ Scott Yanow