Imagine you're a kid being let loose in a sweetshop or, in this case, a Lennie Tristano fan finding himself faced with a boxed set of six previously unheard live, privately recorded, albums by the maestro - shangri-la - or so it may seem!
The kid may end up with tummy ache whilst the Tristano fan may decide that, like good wine, it should be savoured, rolled around the palate and sipped delicately rather than necked like a pint down at the local boozer,
So, with this is in mind, I've decided to deal with each disc of the album's three double CDs individually.
Disc one dates from 1946/47 and wasn't very well recorded. Imagine the sound of an old vinyl album you found in a junk shop that sounds as though someone's frying eggs in the background and you're getting close. However, if you're able to attune your ears to the music or if you've got a sooper-dooper system that can minimise the background noises you must surely realise that, with the exception of Bud Powell, Tristano was way ahead of any of his contemporaries when it came to modern jazz piano - and not just as a pianist but as a composer (all 15 tracks are originals).
Bauer too indicates his status as a trailblazing guitarist whose work with Tristano has possibly yet to be fully acknowledged.
Disc 2/6 - tomorrow. Lance.
PS: Apart from the music, the boxed set which is available from Mosaic/Dot Time Records comes with a 16 page glossy 11" x 11" booklet with some stunning b&w shots as well as a foreword by Lennie's daughter Carol.
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