By 1952, Teddy Wilson's flawless swing style had already been fully formed for at least 17 years, and it would not change at all during the remaining three decades of his life. Wilson's performances were predictably excellent, but predictable nonetheless. This limited-edition five-CD set has all of the pianist's Verve trio recordings, which includes six-and-a-half former LPs (the half was an appearance at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival), a set only released previously in Japan, and a live date that had never come out before. Wilson is teamed with bassists John Simmons, Aaron Bell, Arvell Shaw, Milt Hinton, Geme Ramey, and Al Lucas; and Buddy Rich, Denzil Best, J.C. Heard, Stick Evans, Jo Jones, Specs Powell, Roy Burnes, and Bert Dahlander in the drum slot. A version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" from the Newport Festival adds baritonist Gerry Mulligan. No real surprises occur, and the music, although quite pleasing, is best heard in small doses.
© Scott Yanow /TiVo