Phineas Newborn, Jr. - Please Send Me Someone to Love

1997 CD reissue.

The brilliant pianist Phineas Newborn, Jr. (1931-89) found few occasions to enter a recording studio during his troubled life, though he made the most of what chances he got especially on the half-dozen trio sessions he recorded for Contemporary between 1961 and 1976.

This album and its companion, Harlem Blues (OJC-662), document Newborn’s initial encounter with bassist Ray Brown and drummer Elvin Jones, two players who brought a technical mastery and stylistic range to the date that matched the pianist’s. As usual, there are many examples of Newborn’s glowing touch and effortless two-handed dexterity on tracks like "Rough Ridin’" and "Black Coffee" that will humble even the most accomplished pianists; but there is also a depth of feeling on the title track and "Come Sunday" that recall Newborn’s roots in the Memphis blues tradition.

 As with his other Contemporary albums, Please Send Me Someone to Love will be eagerly studied by the growing rank of pianists who see Newborn’s combination of virtuosity and depth as a standard for further explorations.