Jimmy Forrest: Out Of The Forrest

[Keith Taylor]

Some inspiration for ya’ll:

This is the latest tenor saxophonist that I can’t seem to get enough of. His sound and style are the bee’s knees to me. If you’re into more chill jazz that doesn’t sound like it’s on meth – like Charlie Parker and other Bebop artist – this is an excellent bebop free album – aside from “Crash Program.” Not sure what happened to cause him to lose his cool on that one.

My favorite tracks are: the first track, “Bolo Blues,” “I’ve Got A Right To Cry For You” at the 9:19 mark, “By The River Saint Marie” at the 17:46 mark, and “That’s All” at the 32:19. It’s worth spending the 37 minutes to listen to the whole album all the way through. And as always, I recommend you listen with the best pair of headphones you own. It’ll make the fact that you only hear his saxophone on the left side more apparent – which I find really interesting since it was recorded in 1961. It makes it sound like an older recording than it really is.

Technology allowed for music to be balanced out on both sides at that point, so I wonder what it was that made the producer want the horn to be all to one side? And not just on this album, but other classic jazz albums too? I’m curious because albums like Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster – which was recorded in 1957 – isn’t to one side or the other like that. Was it just a cheaper to record that way at the time? I was just told it was standard to have the horn to one side and its reverb back in the day. I’d be curious to hear y’alls thoughts on this though since some they obviously didn’t do that.

Listen and enjoy the soulfulness of this guy playing:

[Pete]

Hi Keith
This is good stuff, the ones you chose are spot on with my choice
this is what the sax is to me, good chilling blues played by a brilliant
sax player.

[Michael]

Good stuff Keith–thanks for sharing 🙂 A good thing to do is to take note of what these guys are doing in their playing that stands out to us and incorporate that in our own playing.

[Keith Taylor]

You’re welcome y’all – and I’m glad you all dug his sound too. He was a totally new name to me when “I’ve Got A Right To Cry” played on Pandora. I looked him up and was surprised to read that he was the first person to record Night Train – which is a song I’ve known since I was in first or second grade (and have always liked) due to the movie Back To The Future.

[Mel]

I liked it also.

[john]

Yes, love the Jimmy Forest sound. I was first turned on to him from Night Train many years ago.
as for panning the sax to one side, this is simply a choice made by the producer, and or mixing engineer.
normally the lead instrument would be mixed down the middle just like a lead vocal so it’s a little unusual
to have it panned like that, especially on an instrumental blues or jazz recording.
early 60’s pop recording like the beatles had vocals panned to one side but that technique didn’t last very long.

[Anonymous]

Hi Keith, thanks for the reference. I’m trying to collect CD’s from different sax players to hear how their tone differs. I came across this CD which has four of Jimmy Forrest Albums on 2 disks. Four Classic Albums (Out Of The Forrest / Sit Down And Relax With Jimmy Forrest / Most Much / Soul Street) by Jimmy Forrest Label: Avid Jazz ASIN: B01K8KPNQC
While buying this CD I came across King Curtis’ Have Tenor Sax Will Blow / Live CD so that one had to be urgently acquired as well – LOL

[john]

wow I never heard that King Curtis recording! sounds like thew record company was trying to sell records to the ball room dancing crowd.
it’s a lot more starightly played and laid back compared to his regular rock and blues stuff…of course his tonne is all there but boy, what a difference in approach!

[Anonymous]

It sounds quite cheeky doesn’t it? Here’s another track from the CD.

King Curtis, Noble Watts (ts), Al Casey, Jimmy Spruill(g), Herman Foster (p), Jimmy Lewis (b), Belton Evans (ds)
Album：” King Curtis / Have Tenor Sax Will Blow ” Recorded： New York City, July 8, 1959

[john]

it’s a smoothed-out, watered-down rip-off of Curtis’ own “Soul Twist”

[Author]

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