Ow! - Live At The Penthouse

Reviewed: 2019-12-02
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: The two tenor saxophones of Griffin and Davis burst forth once again with this dose of classic high-speed hard bop recorded live for radio broadcast in 1962 and unheard since. No prizes for innovation, but gold medals all round for energy, musicality and sheer skill from the quintet.
If You Like: Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ Intermission Riff (0:53) – spoken intro with short uptempo jam
**2/ Blues Up And Down (6:48) – sax starts> fast tempo jam> sax solo> 2nd sax solo> fast jam> piano solo> fast jam with drum fills> crescendo end
**3/ Ow! (8:20) – saxes start> uptempo jam> sizzling sax solo> piano solo> 2nd sax solo> uptempo jam> crescendo end
4/ (spoken introduction) (0:09)
5/ Bahia (8:44) –bass starts> midtempo jam> sax solo> piano solo> 2nd sax solo> drum solo> midtempo jam> slow fade
6/ (spoken introduction) (0:05)
*7/ Blue Lou (4:11) – full band starts> fast tempo jam> sizzling sax solo> piano solo> 2nd sax solo> fast jam> quick stop
*8/ Second Balcony Jump (7:13) – saxes start> uptempo jam> sax solo> uptempo jam> 2nd sax solo> fast tempo jam> crescendo end
9/ (spoken outro) (0:08)
10/ How Am I To Know? (10:14) – bass starts> midtempo jam> sax solo swings uptempo> piano solo> 2nd sax solo> bass solo> uptempo jam> slow fade
11/ (spoken introduction) (0:09)
12/ Sophisticated Lady (4:03) – sax starts> midtempo jam> sax solo> 2nd sax solo> midtempo jam> crescendo end
13/ (spoken introduction) (0:09) –
***14/ Tickle Toe (6:36) – drums start> fast tempo jam> sax solo> 2nd sax solo> piano solo> fast jam> quick stop
15/ Intermission Riff (0:56) – short uptempo jam with spoken band intro