Rib Joint - Roots of Rock 'N Roll

Sammy Price had such a flexible piano style that he could fit into swing, boogie-woogie, blues, R&B, and rock & roll settings without altering his approach. During 1956, 1957, and 1959, Price led a series of blues-oriented instrumental jams featuring some notable sidemen in his quintet/sextet, including at various times tenor saxophonist King Curtis, guitarists Mickey Baker, Kenny Burrell, and Al Casey, bassists Leonard Gaskin, Jimmy Lewis, and Al Lucas, drummers Bobby Donaldson and Panama Francis, and sometimes baritonist Heywood Henry. The music included on this two-volume set (the complete sessions) is fairly basic and blues-oriented, and often has an early rock & roll beat. The solos of Price and Curtis (in a couple of his better instrumental outings) make this perfectly conceived two-fer of strong interest to jazz listeners.