This wonderful 2-CD set by saxophonist Gil Melle is one of six titles released as part of Blue Note's new Connoisseur 10" series. The set consists of four 10" LPs and the one 12" LP (Patterns In Jazz) Gil recorded for the label. These extremely rare sessions contain a mix of straight bop, a number of standards and many of Melle's unique third stream compositions. Melle's use of a guitar (Tal Farlow, Lou Mecca and Joe Cinderella) in place of a piano was seen as a bold, innovative step.
At the time of these recordings, 1952 to 1956, Melle was quite prolific, but by 1957 he had moved on to pursue other interests. He has scored over 125 films, painted, experimented with electronic instruments and is often credited for inventing the first drum machine.
Gil Mellé: Tenor Saxophone (1-1 to 1-11, 1-14), Baritone Saxophone (1-12, 1-13, 1-15, 2-1 to 2-14)
Eddie Bert (1-1 to 1-8, 2-7 to 2-12), Urbie Green (1-9 to 1-15): Trombone
Don Butterfield (2-3 to 2-6): Tuba
George Wallington: Piano (1-1 to 1-4)
Joe Manning (1-1 to 1-4): Vibraphone
Monica Dell (1-2 to 1-4): Vocals
Tal Farlow (1-5 to 1-15), Lou Mecca (1-16 to 1-19, 2-1 to 2-6), Joe Cinderella (2-7 to 2-12): Guitar
Red Mitchell (1-1 to 1-4), Clyde Lombardi (1-5 to 1-15), Bill Phillips (1-16 to 1-19, 2-1 to 2-6), Oscar Pettiford (2-7 to 2-12): Bass
Max Roach (1-1 to 1-4), Joe Morello (1-5 to 1-15), Vinnie Thomas (1-16 to 1-19, 2-1 to 2-6), Ed Thigpen (2-7 to 2-12): Drums
Disc 1 (01:08:13)
1. Four Moons (02:23)
2. The Gears (03:06)
3. Mars (02:46)
4. Sunset Concerto (02:03)
5. Cyclotron (03:13)
6. October (03:41)
7. Under Capricorn (02:58)
8. Venus (03:40)
9. Lover Man (05:55)
10. Spellbound (03:18)
11. Transition (05:12)
12. A Lion Lives Here (03:50)
13. Timepiece (03:10)
14. Gingersnap (03:17)
15. The Nearness Of You (04:17)
16. Lullaby Of Birdland (03:46)
17. Ballade For Guitar (03:53)
18. Metropolitan (02:50)
19. Newport News (04:55)
Disc 2 (57:06)
1. Summertime (03:59)
2. Quadrille For Moderns (03:31)
4. Life Begins At Midnight (04:24)
5. Night Train To Wildwood (04:10)
6. Threadneedle Street (04:15)
7. Weird Valley (05:13)
8. The Set Break (04:48)
9. Moonlight In Vermont (04:52)
10. Long Ago And Far Away (04:32)
11. The Arab Barber Blues (09:05)
12. Nice Questions (08:17)
