The Ahead Look

Recorded reside on New 12 months’s Eve in 1957, this session finds vibraphonist Pink Norvo in an exuberantly swinging temper. Enjoying vibes with out vibrato to attain a transparent and distinctive sound, Norvo demonstrates great rhythmic power and invention. Jerry Dodgion contributes inventively boppish solos on alto, whereas his flute blends with Norvo’s vibraphone and Jimmy Wyble’s guitar so as to add to the group’s gentle, clear textures. A high-quality rhythm part of journeymen Pink Wootten on bass and John Markham on drums retains the emphasis on concentrated swing in a repertoire that ranges from well-chosen pop tunes to Horace Silver’s “Room 608” to Norvo’s personal traditional “Cookin’ on the Continental.” Reference Recordings has a fame for audiophile sound, and this very early tape by the label’s engineer, Keith Johnson, is remarkably properly recorded, capturing the intimacy and immediacy of Norvo’s music. –Stuart Broomer