Wee Sneezawee

Wee Sneezawee
Studio album by Jimmy Lyons Quintet
Released	1983
Recorded	September 26 & 27, 1983
Genre	Jazz
Length	42:45
Label	Black Saint
Producer	Giovanni Bonandrini
Jimmy Lyons chronology
Burnt Offering (1982) Wee Sneezawee (1983) Give It Up (1985)

Wee Sneezawee is an album by American jazz saxophonist Jimmy Lyons recorded in 1983 for the Italian Black Saint label. ^[1]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[3]
Tom Hull – on the Web	A− [4]

The AllMusic review awarded the album 4 stars. ^[2] The New York City Jazz Record's reviewer wrote that "It's often dense and tense collectivized free jazz, but it's also radically egalitarian, each voice an equal even in the presence of Lyons' soaring virtuosity." ^[5] The Penguin Guide to Jazz described the album as "the most conventional" of those recorded towards the end of Lyons's career. ^[3]

Writing for Audiophile Audition, Doug Simpson commented: "Nothing Lyons recorded could be considered mainstream jazz, but over the 42 minutes, Lyons moves as close to a conventional nature as any Lyons record gets. Lyons is the leader, but there is a lot of room and space for the others. Malik shifts from unison lines with Lyons to impactful solo statements and is intense on the opening title track, matching Lyons' enlivened chords and lines. During the course of the program, Borca’s bassoon provides a deeper resonance which complements Parker’s bass, and often is the musical adhesive which grounds the five lengthy Lyons compositions." ^[6]

Track listing

All compositions by Jimmy Lyons

1. "Wee Sneezawee" - 7:26
2. "Gossip" - 7:29
3. "Remembrance" - 6:56
4. "Shackinback" - 9:10
5. "Driads" - 11:44

• Recorded at Vanguard Studios in New York City on September 26 & 27, 1983

Personnel

• Jimmy Lyons - alto saxophone
• Raphe Malik - trumpet
• Karen Borca - bassoon
• William Parker - bass
• Paul Murphy - drums

References

1. Black Saint Records discography accessed July 15, 2011
2. Allmusic Review accessed July 15, 2011
3. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 917. ISBN   978-0-141-03401-0.
4. Hull, Tom. "Grade List: Jimmy Lyons". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
5. Broomer, Stuart (May 2015). "The Complete Remastered Recordings On Black Saint & Soul Note". The New York City Jazz Record . No. 157. p. 32.
6. Simpson, Doug (January 5, 2015). "Jimmy Lyons – The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint and Soul Note [TrackList follows] – Black Saint/ Soul Note Records/Cam Jazz (5 CDs)". Audiophile Audition. Retrieved January 22, 2022.