Each month Peter Batten recommends a recording that jazz fans may wish to add to their personal library.

Tadd Dameron & John Coltrane

Mating Call

    Here is another little gem to match last month’s “Thelonica”. Some reissues of this session have sold it as a Coltrane session, but it is definitely Tadd’s date from 1956. He produced a fine set of new compositions and recruited strong rhythm support from John Simmons and the great Philly Joe Jones. The quartet works perfectly. For collectors of John Coltrane this is a fascinating session. In contrast with his work with his work for Miles and Monk, he is called upon to interpret music of a different, but equally strong, character. The challenge brings out the strength and melodic invention which we now acknowledge as his greatest gifts. The results are outstanding examples of the work of two great musicians. If you are tempted to buy this session I would recommend that you search for “Tadd Dameron: Four Classic Albums “ on Avid. You will get the bonus of a live club session from 1948 with Alan Eager and Fats Navarro, plus some excellent examples of Tadd’s skills as composer and arranger.

[“Tadd Dameron: Four Classic Albums”  is  Avid AMSC 1175]