The Cats | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 1959 [1] [2] | |||
Recorded | April 18, 1957 | |||
Studio | Van Gelder Studio Hackensack, New Jersey | |||
Genre | ||||
Label | New Jazz/Prestige NJ-8217 | |||
Producer | Bob Weinstock | |||
Tommy Flanagan chronology | ||||
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The Cats is an album by jazz pianist Tommy Flanagan recorded on April 18, 1957 and released in December 1959 on New Jazz, a subsidiary label of Prestige Records. [1] [2] It is credited to Flanagan, saxophonist John Coltrane, guitarist Kenny Burrell, and trumpeter Idrees Sulieman. It was issued after Coltrane's Prestige contract had ended.
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
All About Jazz | [3] |
AllMusic | [4] |
The Penguin Guide to Jazz | [5] |
The Rolling Stone Jazz & Blues Album Guide | [6] |
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Jazz | [7] |
In a five-star review for AllMusic, Michael G. Nastos wrote: "From the opening number... you realize something special is happening... The Cats is a prelude to much more music from all of these masters that would come within a very short time period thereafter, and cannot come more highly recommended. It's a must-buy for the ages." [4]
The authors of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings stated: "it is Flanagan's stewardship of the house rhythm section that makes the gig his own... He is always at the heart of the action, helping out the hornmen when they lose their way, once or twice cutting through the verbiage to get back to the song." [5]
A reviewer for Billboard noted that the musicians "join forces... to good results," and called the recording "a swinging, driving album featuring some hard bop, smooth bop and pretty jazz as well." [8]
David Rickert of All About Jazz commented: "None of the tunes are all that challenging... as you might expect this gives the players plenty of opportunities to wail... The Cats isn't the best recording by any of these musicians, who recorded in various combinations elsewhere... but nevertheless The Cats is a solid album with plenty of tasty playing." [3]
All tracks are written by Tommy Flanagan except where noted.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Minor Mishap" | 7:26 | |
2. | "How Long Has This Been Going On?" | 5:58 | |
3. | "Eclypso" | 7:57 | |
4. | "Solacium" | 9:10 | |
5. | "Tommy's Time" | 11:58 |
Arthur S. Taylor Jr. was an American jazz drummer, who "helped define the sound of modern jazz drumming".
Douglas Watkins was an American jazz double bassist. He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean.
Idrees Sulieman was an American bop and hard bop trumpeter.
Sahib Shihab was an American jazz and hard bop saxophonist and flautist. He variously worked with Luther Henderson, Thelonious Monk, Fletcher Henderson, Tadd Dameron, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Clarke, John Coltrane and Quincy Jones among others.
Lush Life is an album by jazz musician John Coltrane, released in early 1961 on Prestige Records. It was assembled from previously unissued tracks from three recording sessions at Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey in 1957 and 1958. As Coltrane's profile increased during the 1960s, some years after the end of his Prestige contract, the label used unissued recordings to create new albums without Coltrane's input or approval.
The Prestige Recordings is a box set by jazz musician John Coltrane.
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Mal-1 is the debut album by American jazz pianist Mal Waldron. It was recorded in November 1956 and released on the Prestige label in May 1957.
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All Night Long is an album by the Prestige All Stars, later credited to guitarist Kenny Burrell, recorded in 1956 and released on the Prestige label.
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