Gene Ammons ‎– Night Lights (Prestige, 1985)

Gene Ammons (ts); Wynton Kelly (p); George Duvivier (b); Rudy Collins (d); Henry "Pucho" Brown (cga, 1 track only)

Recorded on February 2, 1970

This music has never been reissued on CD; however, three of the LP’s six cuts were reissued on the Ammons compilation A Stranger in Town (Prestige, 2002).

Prestige sat on the music from this session for fifteen years before finally releasing it in 1985.  The long delay had nothing to do with the quality of the music.  Night Lights is an outstanding session that's dedicated to the music of Nat "King" Cole.

If you're making a record dedicated to Nat Cole, it helps if the person sitting at the piano bench is the legendary Wynton Kelly.  (This is one of Kelly's final recording sessions.  He passed away just over a year later.)  The rhythm section is rounded out by the superb bassist George Duvivier, whose impeccable rhythm work appears on innumerable sessions, and drummer Rudy Collins, who is probably best-known for his stint with Dizzy Gillespie's band in the 1960s.  The rhythm section is magnificent, but the hero of the session is Gene "Jug" Ammons, a tenorist who made one of the most distinctive and soulful sounds in all of jazz.  That unmistakable sound is what sets Ammons apart.  

Since Night Lights is dedicated to Nat Cole, the music hearkens back to an earlier time.  This makes it stand apart from most of the LPs Ammons made during the decade.  During the 1970s, producers usually featured Ammons in funky or soul-jazz settings, playing music that was more "of the moment" and commercially viable.  But with Jug, the context really doesn't matter.  Whether he was grooving to popular hits of the day or caressing classic Nat Cole tunes, Ammons always sounded great.

More Gene Ammons

Aside from Night Lights, my favorite Ammons LPs from the Seventies are Got My Own (Prestige, 1972) and Big Bad Jug (Prestige, 1972).  Both of these were reissued on a CD titled Fine and Mellow (Prestige, 2003). Unfortunately, the CD re-sequences the music in the order in which it was recorded, rather than duplicating the sequencing on the LPs. Putting the music in chronological order might make sense from a certain historical point of view, but—as a listener who enjoys the integrity and coherence of albums—I much prefer producer Ozzie Cadena's original vision.  If you're not interested in tracking down the LPs, make a playlist and see if you don't agree with me.