Craft Recordings Remasters Gene Ammons

Gene Ammons on the cover of his original Got My Own album (from the Amazon.com Web page for the original vinyl release)

Last week Craft Recordings reissued Gene Ammons’ Prestige album Got My Own. As of this writing, the album is available from an Amazon.com Web page for MP3 download. (That page also includes a “Vinyl” link, but that is a Web page for the original Prestige release. The current price on that Web page runs in three figures to the left of the decimal point!)

The first four tracks on the album are songs associated with Billie Holiday (as is the title of the album). There are only seven tracks. Ammons plays tenor saxophone on all of them, joined by Hank Jones on electric piano (on six of the tracks) and Ron Carter on bass (sometimes electric). The three of them perform “Strange Fruit” without any additional players. The other tracks involve a variety of additional performers, including, for three of those tracks, a string ensemble arranged and conducted by Ed Bogas.

Those that like a generous account of context to accompany the listening experience will be more than a little disappointed. The Amazon page offers only the seven tracks for download. Those desiring any additional information can seek out the page for the original vinyl release. This includes images of the front and back covers of the album; and there is a fair amount of content on the back (even if the resolution leaves much to be desired).

From a more personal point of view, I have to confess that I am more familiar with Ammons’ name than I am with any of his tracks. Indeed, prior to my listening to the reissue, I think that my only encounter with him was on the Charles Mingus and Friends in Concert album of a performance at Philharmonic Hall (as it was then called) at Lincoln Center. As a result, I was only too happy to download this new reissue, even if it meant coping with barely-legible content from the original vinyl album!