16 Jun
Redux - Live at the Keystone Korner by Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
- Written by Mark Keresman
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There haven’t been many performers who can successfully work more than one of the proverbial sides of the street. Ray Charles has sung R&B, pop and country, and played jazz, too - the late Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson was another -- Vinson (1917-1988) played blues, R&B, bebop and big band swing, singing in a big, mature, slightly quavering voice that let you know who was the boss when he was on stage and playing an alto sax with a searing, acidic tone that was a bit Jackie McLean when JMcL was still a notion in his padre’s mind. Redux is a set of previously unissued performances from 1979 from San Francisco’s Keystone Korner, capturing the Clean-meister with a local rhythm section. While it’s decent enough - Vinson’s voice was still an awesome thing, as on "Alimony Blues" - his sax playing seems to suffer from intonation problems, sounding a bit wobbly and outta-tune every now ‘n’ then. The backing band is fine - the pianist is the way-underrated Larry Vuckovich (you want to hear a killer solo piano disc, try to find his Deja Vuc) - but as fine a bebop group as they are, they don’t quite have that deep-dark feel for Vinson’s chicken-fried blue-side of the coin. Recommended primarily for hardcore fans of the Cleanheaded One.
Additional Info
- Artist / Group Name: Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
- CD Title: Redux - Live at the Keystone Korner
- Genre: Blues
- Year Released: 2003
- Record Label: Savant
- Musicians: Vinson: vocals, alto sax; Larry Vuckovich: piano; Eddie Marshall: drums; James Leary: bass. Recorded live 1/13/79: S.F., CA. @ the Keystone Korner.
- Label Website: http://www.jazzdepot.com
- Rating: Two Stars
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Blues - CD Reviews
