One of the first tuba players to lead his own recording session in a bebop setting,
Ray Draper was only 16 when he recorded the music on this CD reissue, his debut. Teamed in a sextet with trumpeter
Webster Young (also making his recording debut), altoist
Jackie McLean, pianist
Mal Waldron, bassist
Spanky DeBrest, and drummer
Ben Dixon,
Draper fits in pretty well. His solos are sometimes a touch awkward rhythmically and it takes one a little while to get used to his sound in this setting but, overall, this is a successful effort. The fairly modern sextet performs straight-ahead originals by
Draper,
Young, and
Waldron in addition to the standard "You're My Thrill."