This 1961 large-band jazz date places Jimmy Witherspoon on the Reprise label in the company of some heavy hitters -- Teddy Edwards on saxophone, Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Gerald Wiggins on piano, trombonist Herbie Harper, bassist Jimmy Bond, and guitarist Al Viola -- just to name a few.
The program on Spoon, of course, is mostly standards, with Witherspoon doing a wondrous job in his readings of "Lover Come Back to Me," "Ain't Misbehavin," "It Only Happens Once," and "A Blues Serenade." In addition, his takes on Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light," "Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear from Me," and "Just a Sittin' and a Rockin'" are startling interpretations.
The arrangements here, by Bob Florence, are colorful, and just large enough to highlight Witherspoon's open baritone.
The contrast between the orchestra's pop-jazz leanings and Witherspoon's bluesy swing are sometimes hair-raising.
The strange reverb sound that comes across in Collectables' CD remaster is a bit irritating, but this is the only way this brilliant session is available on compact disc.
This is one of those recordings that offers a true starting point for the mature Witherspoon at the absolute top of his powers as a song interpreter and singer supported by a deeply sympathetic orchestra.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Blues Serenade | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:26 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 2 | Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:47 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 3 | Ain't Misbehavin' | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:51 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 4 | We'll Be Together Again | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:48 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 5 | I'll Always Be in Love with YouBud Green, Harry Ruby, Sam H. Stept | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:49 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 6 | Just a Sittin' and a Rockin'Duke Ellington, Lee Gaines, Billy Strayhorn | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:14 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 7 | Just One More ChanceSam Coslow, Arthur Johnston | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:51 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 8 | Music, Maestro, Please | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:35 | 5 MB | 0 MB |
| 9 | It Only Happens OnceFrankie Laine | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 03:30 | 8 MB | 0 MB |
| 10 | I'm Beginning to See the LightDuke Ellington, Don George, Johnny Hodges, Harry James | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:59 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 11 | Don't Worry 'Bout Me | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 03:28 | 7 MB | 0 MB |
| 12 | Love Come Back to Me | Jimmy Witherspoon | Play | 02:48 | 6 MB | 0 MB |
| 34 mins | 78 MB | |||||
| 0 mins | 0 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ray Avery | Cover Photo |
| 2 | Jimmy Bond | Bass |
| 3 | Sam Coslow | Composer |
| 4 | Teddy Edwards | Bass, Bass Instrument, Main Personnel |
| 5 | Duke Ellington | Composer |
| 6 | Al Fichera | Liner Notes |
| 7 | Lee Gaines | Composer |
| 8 | Don George | Composer |
| 9 | Bud Green | Composer |
| 10 | Oscar Hammerstein II | Composer |
| 11 | Herbie Harper | Main Personnel, Trombone |
| 12 | Johnny Hodges | Composer |
| 13 | Harry James | Composer |
| 14 | Arthur Johnston | Composer |
| 15 | Frankie Laine | Composer |
| 16 | Lanny Morgan | Main Personnel, Sax (Alto) |
| 17 | Earl Palmer | Drums, Main Personnel |
| 18 | Sigmund Romberg | Composer |
| 19 | Harry Ruby | Composer |
| 20 | Merle Shore | Art Direction |
| 21 | Sam H. Stept | Composer |
| 22 | Billy Strayhorn | Composer |
| 23 | Al Viola | Guitar, Main Personnel |
| 24 | Gerry Wiggins | Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Piano |
| 25 | Gerald Wilson | Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Trumpet |
| 26 | Jimmy Witherspoon | Guitar, Main Personnel, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 27 | Si Zentner | Trombone |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |