LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

The luminous alto saxophonist Sonny Criss never got the recognition his talent warranted. His life was marked by a series of frustrations. Still, he poured himself into music with a passion that won him admiration and a circle of fans who cherish his work. In this collection, Criss addressed two tunes, "Up, Up and Away" and "Sunny," from the pop music charts of the mid-1960s. He brought to them the same unyielding creative energy that he applied to the standards and originals making up the rest of the album. For Criss, any composition was a vehicle for expression of the bebop sensibility he absorbed as a youngster under the spell of Charlie Parker. The all-star rhythm section is led by pianist Cedar Walton. On "Scrapple from the Apple," Criss and veteran guitarist Tal Farlow swing so powerfully you can almost see it.Up, Up and Away; Willow Weep for Me, This Is for Benny, Sunny, Scrapple from the Apple, Paris Blues Sonny Criss, Cedar Walton, Bob Cranshaw, Tal Farlow, Lenny McBrowne