Gigi Gryce was one of jazz's most sensual arrangers. Like Billy Strayhorn, Tadd Dameron, Quincy Jones, Benny Golson and others, Gryce favored a cool sophistication in his compositions and arrangements. He was so exceptional as an orchestrator that it's easy to forget he was also a terrific alto saxophonist.
One of Gryce's finest albums and a great entry point for those unfamiliar with him was Nica's Tempo. Recorded over multiple dates in 1955 for Savoy, Gryce liked arranging for little big bands and used musicians who sounded great on solos and collectively, adding their instrumental personalities. [Publicity still above of Gigi Gryce in 1955]
As Bill Kirchner points out: “All three recording sessions had the same instrumentation as Miles Davis's Birth of the Cool band. Also, three of the players—Gunther Schuller, Bill Barber and Kenny Clarke—played on the Birth of the Cool sessions. This was one of many albums of the 1950s and 1960s that used the Birth of the Cool model."
Here's Gigi Gryce's complete Nica's Tempo without ad interruptions...
One of Gryce's finest albums and a great entry point for those unfamiliar with him was Nica's Tempo. Recorded over multiple dates in 1955 for Savoy, Gryce liked arranging for little big bands and used musicians who sounded great on solos and collectively, adding their instrumental personalities. [Publicity still above of Gigi Gryce in 1955]
As Bill Kirchner points out: “All three recording sessions had the same instrumentation as Miles Davis's Birth of the Cool band. Also, three of the players—Gunther Schuller, Bill Barber and Kenny Clarke—played on the Birth of the Cool sessions. This was one of many albums of the 1950s and 1960s that used the Birth of the Cool model."
Here's Gigi Gryce's complete Nica's Tempo without ad interruptions...
This story appears courtesy of JazzWax by Marc Myers.
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