Buddy Tate

The Texas Twister is a relaxed, gently probing session; its several highlights begin with the title selection, a thirty-two-bar riff confection with a characteristically willful opening solo by Buddy Tate. His best playing on the date is heard on "Talk of the Town," a memorable example of his ability to invest a ballad with emotional generosity, melodic invention, and playfully rhythmic finesse, and on "Topsy," in which he follows the piano solo with a plaintive, wailing, yet impeccably shaped solo. Tate is a wonderfully evocative clarinetist (he's also a gifted flutist), though he hasn't played the instrument much on records; this album affords us two examples of his sensitive, woodsy approach to the clarinet, on "Chicago" and "Gee Baby" (both with buoyant solos by Quinichette).

Though he isn't an especially accomplished vocalist, Buddy's slightly tremulous voice makes its points, and when he erupts on "Boogie-Woogie" ("I may be wrong..."), he manages some of Jimmy Rushing's punch. Also raising his voice in song is Major Holley, who demonstrates his patented method of vocalizing while playing arco bass on the second version of "Take Me Back Baby." This record was made in one afternoon－the product of old friends savoring jazz basics, and of a master musician recomposing himself.