Because
Abbey Lincoln has always been careful to sing songs that have a deep meaning for her, all of her recordings through the years are memorable in their own way; there are no duds in her discography. Her second Riverside session (and her third recording),
It's Magic has been reissued on this CD in the Original Jazz Classics series. The backup musicians are among the best in jazz at the time (
Kenny Dorham or
Art Farmer on trumpet, trombonist
Curtis Fuller,
Benny Golson on tenor,
Jerome Richardson or
Sahib Shihab on reeds, pianist
Wynton Kelly,
Paul Chambers or
Sam Jones on bass, and drummer
Philly Joe Jones) and they have opportunities to play short solos.
Lincoln is heard at her early best on such numbers as "I Am in Love," "An Occasional Man," "Out of the Past" and
Randy Weston's "Little Niles." Recommended.