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| 5.598 Ft
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| 1. | Love for Sale
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| 2. | I Don't Know What Kind of Blues I Got
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| 3. | De Silva Wig
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| 4. | Laura
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| 5. | Surrey with the Fringe on Top
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| 6. | Dinah
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| 7. | All That's Good
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| 8. | The Man That Got Away
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| 9. | Three Little Words
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Jazz
Recorded in Los Angeles, 1956
Gerald Wiggins - Piano
Bill Douglas - Drums
Joe Comfort - Bass
* Frank Gallo - Photography
* John Kraus - Engineer
* Johnny Otis - Artwork, Cover Design, Producer
* Sleepy Stein - Liner Notes, Producer
Gerald Wiggins, a quintessential sideman figure on the West Coast jazz scene, played piano with a dexterity and facile skill that easily rivaled the witty speed of Oscar Peterson and the soulful playfulness of Erroll Garner. This was readily acknowledged by his peers in California, but not heard by the jazz world at large until this, his debut U.S. recording, originally for the Dig label owned by the legendary Johnny Otis. With former Nat King Cole bassist Joe Comfort and then emerging jazz drummer Bill Douglas, Wiggins did this session in 1956, and it is a straight reissue of those tracks, with no extra material, at the LP length of just under 40 minutes. Wiggins generally goes back and forth from upbeat post-bop to mellow and sweet easy swingers -- there's little middle ground. The tunes that fly by very quickly include standards "Love for Sale," "Surrey with the Fringe on Top," the quick, popping "Three Little Words" and the Wiggins original "DeSilva Wig" for jazz DJ Walt DeSilva. On these, the trio is, well, wiggin' out! The slower numbers are also done with a taste and refinement exclusive of much older players, but Wiggins has selected some numbers off the beaten path. Duke Ellington's lovable "I Don't Know What Kind of Blues I Got," is somewhat obscure, a delicate read of "The Man That Got Away" is not the best known Harold Arlen tune, and the warhorse "Dinah" is taken at an unusually slow pace, with Wiggins inserting stride references astutely reminiscent of Garner. "Laura" is nice and elegant, but shows the lounge side of Wiggins in a less typical or rote fashion. Comfort and Douglas sound great together, as their finely crafted and in-tune collaboration supporting Wiggins cannot be overlooked. The shortness of this program might be an issue for bargain hunters, but this is an historical document marking the emergence of one of the true unsung heroes in modern mainstream small group piano jazz, and is an item all should find easy to love.
--- Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
Gerald Wiggins
Active Decades: '50s, '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and '00s
Born: May 12, 1922 in New York, NY
Genre: Jazz
Styles: Bop, Swing
Gerald Wiggins has long been a highly flexible pianist quite comfortable in swing or bop settings, but he is at his best when performing with his longtime trio, a group also including bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Paul Humphrey. Wiggins' swinging and consistently witty style, typically filled with catchy riffs, is at times reminiscent of Erroll Garner and Art Tatum, but generally quite distinctive.
"The Wig" started with piano lessons when he was four, switching from classical music to jazz as a teenager. He doubled on bass while attending the High School & Art and worked for a time in the early '40s as a piano accompanist for Stepin Fetchit. Wiggins played with Les Hite, and in 1943 toured with the big bands of Louis Armstrong and Benny Carter. While in the military (1944-1946), he often played in local jazz clubs in Seattle. After his discharge, he settled permanently in the Los Angeles area. A popular accompanist for singers, Wiggins worked with Lena Horne (touring with her from 1950-1951), Helen Humes, Ella Mae Morse, Eartha Kitt, Nat King Cole, Kay Starr, Lou Rawls, Ernie Andrews, Linda Hopkins, and Joe Williams, among others. Wiggins was also employed as a vocal coach at Hollywood film studios and had the opportunity to work with Marilyn Monroe.
In the Los Angeles area, Wiggins has led trios since the 1950s, becoming a consistent fixture in local clubs. In recent times, he has played piano with Frank Capp Juggernaut and worked with fellow Concord artists, like Scott Hamilton. Gerald Wiggins has led sessions through the years for Swing and Vogue (both in 1950), Ember, Crown, Tampa, Specialty, Motif, Mode, Challenge, Hi-Fi, Contemporary (1961), Black & Blue, and, in the 1990s, Concord. His son J.J. Wiggins is a fine bassist.
---Scott Yanow, All Music Guide |
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