Ray Draper - Ray Draper Quintet Featuring John Coltrane (1957)

Ray Draper - Ray Draper  Quintet Featuring John Coltrane (1957)

jazz | 1cd | eac-flac-cue-log-cover | 280MB

OJC

Allmusic:
Ray Draper was only 17 when he led this date (all four of his sessions as a leader were made before he turned 20) and was brave (or foolhardy) enough to team up with tenor saxophonist John Coltrane (who was 14 years older and already a major name) in a quintet also including pianist Gil Coggins, bassist Spanky DeBrest, and drummer Larry Ritchie. Draper had ambitious dreams of making the tuba a major jazz solo instrument; the tuba/tenor front line is an unusual and generally successful sound, although Draper's solos on this reissue -- on three of his originals: Sonny Rollins' "Paul's Pal," the show tune "Under Paris Skies," and a tuba feature without Coltrane, "I Hadn't Anyone Till You" -- are clearly not on the same level as those of Coltrane or Coggin. One does admire Draper's courage, and it is a pity that he hardly recorded at all after 1960 because he had strong potential.

 Tracks
-1. "Clifford's Kappa" - 9:16
-2. "Filidia" - 7:16
-3. "Two Sons" - 5:24
-4. "Paul's Pal" - 7:14
-5. "Under Paris Skies" - 7:47
-6. "I Hadn't Anyone till You" - 3:05  

Personnel
* Ray Draper (tuba)
* John Coltrane (tenor saxophone)
* Gil Coggins (piano)
* Larry Ritchie (drums)

 sample & buy: Ray Draper Q. Feat. John Coltrane