"Always a popular jazz artist, Ammons recorded dozens of albums. His most creative period was the early '60's. Almost anything he recorded is worth hearing. There have been album collections of his complete Mercury output, complete Chess recordings, and a whole spate of Prestige reissues. His work is highlighted by a hard-driving mixture of bebop and R&B devices delivered with a tone as big as a house. One of the great ballad players of any era, he has been widely hailed as a great interpreter."- Bob Porter.

 

Mini "old style" gatefold jacket packaging:
These SACD jackets feature printed wraps mounted to chipboard shells, producing an authentic, "old school" look and feel: also referred to as "mini LP" jackets.

A 1961 set of standards heavy on the ballads, Nice An' Cool is prime Gene Ammons. In front of a sympathetic piano-bass-drums trio (Richard Wyands, Doug Watkins, and the great J.C. Heard, respectively), Ammons' brilliant soulful tenor saxophone really stretches out on the familiar melodies, but the relatively concise arrangements (all of the eight tracks are between three and eight minutes, with most hovering around the five-minute mark) don't allow him to wander too far afield as he occasionally does on less structured sessions. Nice An' Cool is first and foremost a mood album, with the unity of sound more important than the individual performances, but Ammons particularly shines on the extended opener, a tender, restrained version of The Music Man's "Til There Was You" that sidesteps the mawkishness of many interpretations in favor of a dignified grace. The backing trio is excellent throughout

Musicians:
Gene Ammons, tenor saxophone
Richard Wyands, piano
Doug Watkins, bass
J.C. Heard, drums

 

1. Till There Was You

2. Answer Me, My Love

3. Willow Weep For Me

4. Little Girl Blue

5. Something I Dreamed Last Night

6. Something Wonderful

7. I Remember You

8. Someone To Watch Over Me