Gene Ammons: The Boss Is Back -1970 Prestige Royal Blue Label Stereo 12" Record

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1970 Prestige Royal Blue Label with Trident Stereo Release of Bandleader/Composer/Tenor Saxophone Master Gene Ammons Entitled the Boss Is Back!, Supervision by Bob Porter, Recording by Rudy Van Gelder, Liner Notes by Chris Albertson in December of 1969 - "Gene Ammons, who had a huge and immediately recognizable tone on tenor, was a very flexible player who could play bebop with the best (always battling his friend Sonny Stitt to a tie) yet was an influence on the R&B world. Some of his ballad renditions became hits and, despite two unfortunate interruptions in his career, Ammons remained a popular attraction for 25 years. Son of the great boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons (who was nicknamed "Jug") left Chicago at age 18 to work with King Kolax's band. He originally came to fame as a key soloist with Billy Eckstine's orchestra during 1944-1947, trading off with Dexter Gordon on the famous Eckstine record Blowing the Blues Away. Other than a notable stint with Woody Herman's Third Herd in 1949 and an attempt at co-leading a two tenor group in the early '50s with Sonny Stitt, Ammons worked as a single throughout his career, recording frequently (most notably for Prestige) in settings ranging from quartets and organ combos to all-star jam sessions. Drug problems kept him in prison during much of 1958-1960 and, due to a particularly stiff sentence, 1962-1969. When Ammons returned to the scene in 1969, he opened up his style a bit, including some of the emotional cries of the avant-garde while utilizing funky rhythm sections, but he was still able to battle Sonny Stitt on his own terms. Ironically the last song that he ever recorded (just a short time before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer) was "Goodbye." - "The executives at Prestige must have been felt ecstatic when they heard Gene Ammons first play after his release from a very severe seven-year jail sentence. The great tenor proved to still be in his prime, his huge sound was unchanged and he was hungry to make new music. The first date (in an acoustic quintet with pianist Junior Mance) hints at his earlier bop-based music while the numbers from the following day (with organist Sonny Phillips) find Ammons playing over a couple of boogaloo vamps very much of the period. Actually it is his ballad statements (particularly "Here's That Rainy Day" & "Feeling Good") that really make this LP memorable." - Sensational Personnel for the Two Quintets Feature Legendary Composer Gene Ammons on Tenor Saxophone, the Great Junior Mance on Piano, Sonny Phillips with Organ on "Feeling Good", the Talented Buster Williams on Bass, Bob Bushnell with Fender Bass on "Feeling Good", Frankie Jones on Drums, the Amazing Bernard Purdie with Drums on "Feeling Good" and the Brilliant Candido on Conga! - Selections on Side A Are the Junior Mance/Gene Ammons Penned the Jungle Boss, the Cecil Gant/Raymond Leveen Standard I Wonder at 7 Minutes 55 Seconds & the Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley Classic Feeling Good - Tracks For Side B Consist of Original Gene Ammons Composition Tastin' the Jug at 7 Minutes 20 Seconds, the Johnny Burke/James Van Heusen Standard Here's that Rainy Day and the Junior Mance/Gene Ammons Penned Madame Queen - Used Copy, Cover Very Good++, Record Very Good++ - Stereo Recording, Product Code PRST 7739 - California Residents Add 9.75% Sales Tax - International S & H Extra -