Late Ballads from a Saxophone in Shadow
Gene Ammons turns two sessions from different years into one warm, unhurried portrait of a tenor man at ease.
Put on Angel Eyes and the first thing you hear is Gene Ammons's big, round tenor tone, unhurried and full of warmth. Most of the material moves at a ballad or mid-tempo pace, so the record breathes slowly, and the rhythm section stays close and supportive rather than pushing forward. The mood is tender without being sleepy, the kind of record you can play on a long evening and never feel rushed by.
The album combines music from two separate occasions, sessions recorded in 1960 and 1962, and gathers them into a single program. The 1960 material features Doug Watkins and Wendell Marshall on bass and Mal Waldron at the piano, with Johnny "Hammond" Smith on organ and Art Taylor on drums in the mix. The 1962 dates bring in Ed Thigpen and Frank Wess, and the shift in personnel gives the two halves slightly different colors while Ammons remains the constant center. Nothing here feels pieced together awkwardly; the sequencing holds together well for a compilation.
Where does this sit in Ammons's career? It is not his most essential record, and newcomers would do better starting with Jug (1961) or other Prestige sessions that show his drive more directly. But Angel Eyes is a good listen for anyone who already likes his playing and wants to hear him in a softer, more reflective mood. AllMusic reviewer Scott Yanow recommended it, noting that Ammons's interpretations stay full of optimism even though the later session came shortly before a long prison sentence. That detail gives the warmth a little more weight on repeated listens.
Who's playing
Doug Watkinsdouble bass
Wendell Marshalldouble bass
Mal Waldronpiano
Gene Ammonstenor saxophone
Art Taylordrums
Ed Thigpendrums
Frank Wesswoodwind
Where next?
More by Gene Ammons
Boss Tenor 1960
Bad! Bossa Nova 1962
Jammin' With Gene 1956
Boss Tenors: Straight Ahead from Chicago August 1961 1962
The musicians on this record
Sweet Love, Bitter 1967
Mal Waldron
plays piano here
plays piano here
♫
The Stinger 1965
Johnny Hammond Smith
plays organ here
plays organ here
