Curtis Amy & Paul Bryant - Meetin' Here

Curtis Amy was an accomplished Texas tenor who moved freely and productively between straightahead jazz, blues and rhythm and blues, and both aspects of his musical personality are fruitfully deployed on these enjoyable early 60s West Coast sessions. On the first, Meetin Here, he brings a fiery conviction to bear on a relaxed, grooving date with organist Paul Bryant. Sharing the front line with them is the solid trombone of Roy Brewster, and the results have the hand-inglove feel of a group to which cooking is as natural as breathing. Whether on a ballad or up-tempo driving, Amy is the main man, bringing a declamatory edge to his tone that reinforces his expressiveness.

After this, the tenors career soon shifted into higher gear. Pacific Jazz producer Richard Bock used him in an all-star jazz group to back the veteran blues singer and guitarist Bumble Bee Slim on the second session of this set. Recorded a year later under Slims leadership as part of the album Back in Town!, it offered, in addition to Slims unpretentious, relaxed, and undeniably expressive way with slow, medium and up-tempo blues tunes, gripping soloing by Curtis Amy, and fine contributions by organist Groove Holmes and trombonist Lou Blackburn.

Tracks #1-6, from the album "Meetin Here Curtis Amy & Paul Bryant" (Pacific Jazz Stereo-26)

Tracks #7-13, from the album "Bumble Bee Slim Back in Town!" (Pacific Jazz Stereo-54)

Personnel on "Meetin' Here":

Curtis Amy, tenor sax; Roy Brewster, trombone; Paul Bryant, organ; Clarence Jones, bass; Jimmy Miller, drums.

Recorded at Pacific Jazz Enterprises Inc./Rex Studios, Los Angeles, on February 1, 1961

Personnel on "Back in Town!":

Curtis Amy, tenor sax (out on #11); Richard Groove Holmes, organ; Bumble Bee Slim, vocals & guitar; Leroy Henderson, drums; Lou Blackburn, trombone (#9,11,13)

Recorded at Pacific Jazz Enterprises Inc./Rex Studios, Los Angeles, on March 30, 1962