This post is by Dan
Johnny Coles (flhn); Horace Parlan (p); Reggie Johnson (b); Billy Hart (d)
Recorded December 19, 1982
Johnny Coles was one of the premier jazz trumpet players of the 1960s, although he only led a handful of recordings under his own name. As a sideman, he made enormous contributions to the groups of Duke Ellington, Gil Evans, Charles Mingus, James Moody, and Duke Pearson. His 1963 Blue Note album, Little Johnny C, is an enduring classic, and his earlier album for Epic, The Warm Sound of Johnny Coles, is equally good. The titles of his early albums draw attention to Coles' physical stature and his approach to playing brass. He was a small man with a captivatingly human sound.
That sound is rendered beautifully on New Morning, on which Coles plays open fluegelhorn exclusively. The program consists of three tunes by Coles, and one each by Wayne Shorter ("United"), Charles Mingus ("Sound of Love"), and Charles Davis ("Super 80"). Solo space is distributed democratically, as each member of the quartet gets multiple opportunities in the spotlight. Indeed, on the final number, "I Don't Know Yet," Coles lays out for almost the entire song, only taking the final solo and closing melody. Coles and Billy Hart "trade fours" on several tunes, and Horace Parlan and Reggie Johnson both take several solos.
Like a lot of great jazz, the appeal of this album comes from the group interplay. Hart is perhaps the key member of the group; he keeps everything moving from the opening bars of "Super 80." Johnson fulfills the same role on "New Morning," an interesting tune introduced by gongs and a pianistic alarm clock, followed by a strong melodic statement by Coles, who composed the tune.
Criss Cross deserves credit for granting Coles a recording opportunity in the 1980s, and he delivers a winner with New Morning.
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