Teddy Wilson Trio: Revisits the Goodman Years

Rating: ★★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Jesper Lundgaard (b)
Teddy Wilson (p)
Ed Thigpen (d)

Label:

Storyville

August/2020

Media Format:

LP

Catalogue Number:

6017011

RecordDate:

15 June 1980

The then 68-year old Wilson was in Copenhagen in 1980 in what was for him a busy year, this also encompassing visits to Sweden and repeat tours in Japan, as well as homeland gigs with his old employer Benny Goodman. It's that latter association that Wilson chose to celebrate with Danish bassist Lundgaard and Copenhagen resident Thigpen on this 10-track reminder of songs that he and BG performed together. This new release is like déjà vu as it's on vinyl as was the session's original Storyville issue some 40 years ago. There have been CD and box set reappearances since.

Wilson found a way to play early on that suited him for the rest of his career (he died in 1986) and which contained untold riches of melodic development, harmonic enterprise and deep-down swing. Untroubled by doubt, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Just to listen to the way he unfolds the melody of something like ‘S’ Wonderful’ and then moves into a spirited resumé of its possibilities is proof enough of this, the fund of ideas so fluent and engrossing that before you know it's over. The word impeccable is often used to describe Wilson's improvising posture but on this evidence, there was still plenty of vim and urgency on offer too. Never prolix or overlong, these joyous expositions, bass and drums spot-on, make this a delight to re-encounter.

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