Kenny Drew and His Progressive Piano (Remastered Edition) Kenny Drew

• 1 Bluesville 05:25
• 2 Angie 05:38
• 3 I Can Make You Love Me (If You'll Let Me) 03:57
• 4 My Beautiful Lady 05:38
• 5 Many Miles Away 02:43
• 6 Fifty-Second Street Theme 03:24
• 7 I'll Remember April 06:38
• 8 Four and Five 03:15
• 9 Polka Dots and Moonbeams 04:18
• 10 Lo Flame 03:36
• 11 Chartreuse 04:32
• 12 Kenny's Blues 06:00
• Total Runtime 55:04

Info for Kenny Drew and His Progressive Piano (Remastered Edition)

"Progressive piano" from a young Kenny Drew -- already swinging here with a sound that's unlike anybody else at the time! The album follows nicely from Drew's early work for Blue Note -- and like those sides, the groove here is a mix of creatively compelling solo lines, and a slight soulful undercurrent in the rhythms -- kind of a blend of bop inspiration and some of the more creative 50s piano modes, all wrapped together with just a hint of the generation of players to come. The group features Eugene Wright on bass and Charles Wright on drums -- and titles include "Angie", "Bluesville", "Four & Five", "Lo Flame", "Chartreuse", "Kenny's Blues", "Many Miles Away", and "My Beautiful Lady".

"This compilation pairs two of pianist Kenny Drew's earliest record dates as a leader, both of which were issued by Norgran in the mid-'50s. For the most part, the music is rather easygoing, with an emphasis on ballads. With bassist Eugene Wright (who would join Dave Brubeck's classic quartet within a few years) and either Charles Wright or Lawrence Marable on drums, Drew mixes seven originals, a pair of standards, and a couple of long forgotten tunes. The rapid-fire treatment of "Fifty-Second Street Theme" (with some fine bass work) and the oft-center approach to "I'll Remember April" provide some variety from the generally laid-back sound of the CD. Also rewarding are Drew's two solos, both of which are ballads: the obscure "I Can Make You Love Me (If You'll Let Me)" and the venerable standard "Polka Dots and Moonbeams." The pianist's compositions are enjoyable, though not particularly memorable." (Ken Dryden, AMG)

Kenny Drew, piano
Gene Wright, double bass (tracks 1, 2 & 4-12)
Lawrence Marable, drums (tracks 6 & 8-12)
Charles "Specs" Wright,drums (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 & 7)

Recorded 1953 and September 2, 1954 in New York City and Los Angeles
Produced by Norman Granz

Digitally remastered

Kenny Drew
was an underrated master of bebop. A brilliant pianist who started with the example of Bud Powell and then developed his own sound within the style, in the '50s Drew worked with the likes of Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Buddy DeFranco, Dinah Washington and Art Blakey. By 1960 when he recorded Undercurrent, Drew had already led ten albums of his own, mostly with duos and trios. Oddly enough he only had the opportunity to lead two albums in his life for Blue Note, an early effort from 1953 and the classic Undercurrent. Matched in a quintet with the young firebrand trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and the always-stimulating tenor-saxophonist Hank Mobley, the 32-year old pianist was ready to truly make his mark. All six compositions are his, and in his accompaniment of the passionate horn men and in his soulful solos, Drew shows that he was one of the major hard bop stylists. He would not make another album as a leader until 1973, nine years after he permanently moved to Europe, but Kenny Drew’s playing on Undercurrent, a superb and very well-recorded Blue Note album that is arguably his finest work, is timeless.

This album contains no booklet.