Elvin Jones - Merry Go Round - UHQ CD

2022 reissue

While Merry Go Round may not be as well known as the rest of Elvin Jones' Blue Note output, it is an excellent and very enjoyable post-bop album that deserves to be mentioned alongside the best of his solo work. It features a much larger ensemble of players than his previous LPs on the label, certainly a far cry from his piano-less trios on albums like The Ultimate and Puttin' It Together. The group on hand is a cohesive unit, no big surprise considering David Liebman, Steve Grossman and Gene Perla were part of Jones' touring Quartet during this time. The addition of Farrell is an added bonus, as he had done some of his best straight-ahead jazz work alongside Jones on those piano-less trio albums.

Elvin Jones - Drums
Joe Farrell - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
David Liebman - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax
Steve Grossman - Tenor Sax
Pepper Adams - Baritone Sax
Frank Foster - Alto Clarinet (B3 Only)
Yoshiaki Masuo - Guitar
Chick Corea - Piano & Electric Piano
Jan Hammer - Piano & Electric Piano
Gene Perla - Acoustic Bass & Fender Bass
Don Alias - Conga