Hampton Hawes (1928-1977) was one of the most gifted and natural of jazz musicians, an artist who played mostly by ear and who was a superbly communicative soloist. The Los Angeles native was a devotee of the bebop geniuses Charlie Parker and Bud Powell and had a nationwide reputation. These previously unreleased late-Fifties recordings show why, as he puts a singular stamp on his interpretations, investing them with a compelling mixture of hard swing and sweetly melodic lines. In the excellent company of bass greats Paul Chambers and Scott LaFaro and drummers Larance Marable and Frank Butler, Hamp scores with Bird's "Big Foot" and "Cheryl" and choice standards like "Yesterdays." Though the music was recorded in a studio, it has the intimacy of a live date.

with Hampton Hawes, Paul Chambers, Larance Marable, Scott LaFaro, Frank Butler