Jazz pianist and composer
Ray Bryant has had a long career that falls roughly under the banner of bop, but his solos frequently mix in blues, boogie-woogie, and stride elements, along with enough soul and R&B leanings to give things a familiar and accessible pop feel on occasion. This expansive eight-CD, 106-track box combines several of
Bryant's mid-career albums along with later comps of that material, including 1958’s
Soul, 1960’s
Dancing the Big Twist,
The Madison Time with a Hollywood Jazz Beat (a 1995 single-disc comp combining LPs from 1960 and 1962), 1963’s
Groove House, 1964’s
Cold Turkey and
Live at Basin Street East, 1972’s
Alone at Montreux, and
The Madison Time (a ten-track comp released in 2003, resulting in a bit of duplication with several tracks, including
Bryant's 1960 title track dance hit). The result is a varied and in-depth portrait of this steady performer.
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Steve Leggett, Rovi