Thinking About Flutes

After talking to you about Nathan Davis the other night, I've been thinking about other flautists that I listen to.

(Odd word isn't it? Flautist? Why add the A? Wouldn't flutist be just fine? English is strange.)

There's two tracks that immediately came to mind and I bet you haven't heard them.

you gotta love the cigarette holder...

The first is by A.K. Salim, whose name isn't talked about within our jazz circle, but he put out some fantastic music in the 50s and 60s. Duo-Flautist is a great track that has, you guessed it, two flute players, Herbie Mann and Frank Wess. One of the things I find interesting about Salim's records is that he doesn't play on them. What? How does that work? He's the arranger, composer and director of the records. Whatever works I guess. I suppose that's why he looks so scholarly on the cover of "Flute Suite". Duo-Flautist is great and if you've already started listening to it, you'll see I'm right. I recommend checking out any of his recordings. His "The Modern Sounds of A.K. Salim" combines his albums "Flute Suite" and "Blues Suite" and I know you'll like it.

The other track is by the great Wynton Kelly. I know you know the name since I've talked about him a lot and written about him too. His recording of Bobo is the other flute track that popped into my mind. It's a happy little thing isn't it? It's the first track on The Wynton Kelly Trio's "Undiluted"

I must also mention that one of my all-time jazz faves, the Great Paul Chambers, Kelly's longtime partner, is on bass. Jimmy Cobb is solid as ever on drums and then there's the flute, who appears only on one track on the album. It's  Rudy Stevenson.

Who? I hear you. Who indeed. He's not exactly a jazz luminary but he still played with a who's who over the years including Nina Simone, Grant Green, Cedar Walton, Duke Pearson, Lee Morgan, Herbie Mann and Junior Mance. He also named his son Wynton Kelly Stevenson, so I guess he loved his brief time with the Trio.

Tonight I'll spin something else and I'll give you a call to talk about it.

Tell Joe I said hello.