Fat Navarro – The Fabulous Fats Navarro Vol 1: Mono (BN Classic Vinyl LP)

Blue Note Classic Vinyl Reissue Series All-Analog Mono 180g Vinyl LP Mastered by Kevin Gray Directly from the Original Master Tapes and Manufactured at Optimal in Germany

The prodigiously talented trumpeter Theodore “Fats” Navarro was a bebop innovator whose career was cut tragically short when he died in 1950 at the age of 26. Navarro played with Charlie Parker and forged a distinctive style on his horn that would influence many greats that followed him including Clifford Brown. The year after his death Blue Note compiled the 10″ LP Fats Navarro Memorial Album as a tribute to the late trumpeter with selections from various dates Fats had featured on between 1947-49 with the Tadd Dameron Sextet, the Bud Powell Quintet, and the McGhee-Navarro Boptet which Fats co-led with trumpeter Howard McGhee. In 1957, the label expanded the release into two 12″ LPs titled The Fabulous Fats Navarro as part of the 1500 series including additional tracks from the sessions as well as alternate takes of several pieces in order to showcase the sheer creativity and originality of Navarro’s improvisations. Altogether the collection is a bebop masterclass that featured various distinguished casts of bebop luminaries.

Musicians:
Fats Navarro / Howard McGhee, trumpet
Bud Powell / Tadd Dameron, piano
Charlie Rouse / Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone
Milt Jackson, piano / vibraphone
Ernie Henry, alto saxophone
Curyly Russell / Nelson Boyd / Tommy Potter, bass
Kenny Clarke / Roy Haynes, Shadow Wilson, drums

1. Our Delight (Alternate Master)
2. Our Delight
3. The Squirrel (Alternate Master)
4. The Squirrel
5. The Chase (Alternate Master)
6. The Chase
7. Wail (Alternate Master)
8. Bouncing With Bud (Alternate Master)
9. Double Talk
10. Dameronia (Alternate Master)