Carmell Jones: The Remarkable Carmell Jones (Blue Note Tone Poet Series) LP

Blue Note, 1961

The Kansas City born trumpeter Carmell Jones was quickly signed by Pacific Jazz soon after his arrival in Los Angeles in 1960, and in addition to appearing on sessions led by labelmates Gerald Wilson, Bud Shank, and Curtis Amy, Jones began what seemed sure to be a promising recording career with his impressive and accurately titled 1961 debut The Remarkable Carmell Jones. The album found Jones in excellent company with a top-shelf band featuring tenor saxophonist Harold Land, pianist Frank Strazzeri, bassist Gary Peacock, and drummer Leon Pettis. Jones comes out of the gate swinging with an inventive solo on Duke Ellington’s “I’m Gonna Go Fishin’” and delivers fireworks on the breakneck paced “Night Tide.” But Jones also proves himself an effective balladeer on a stunning rendition of the Arlen/Mercer standard “Come Rain Or Come Shine” and his own striking original “Stellisa.” Jones would go on to record two more leader dates for Pacific Jazz and later joined the Horace Silver Quintet appearing on the pianist’s timeless classic Song For My Father before abruptly moving to Germany in 1965 where he would stay for the next 15 years.