Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Jimmy Raney: Momentum (1974)

This 1974 LP marked a comeback for Jimmy Raney, following his long layoff from the music business in order to make a full recovery from alcoholism. Accompanied by bassist Richard Davis and drummer Alan Dawson, the guitarist is in terrific form as he explores several standards, a bossa nova-flavored "Nobody Else but Me," and a driving take of "Just Friends." He composed the other two works heard on the date. His piece, "'Momentum," is a reworking of an earlier original he called "Motion," both of which are obviously based upon the chord changes to "You Stepped Out of a Dream." "We'll Be Together" is an original ballad (set to words he wrote earlier, according to liner-note writer Ira Gitler), though it sounds as if it was partially inspired by "Autumn in New York"; it also features a strong solo by Davis. Originally released on MPS and reissued by Pausa, this record has been unavailable for quite some time, but it can be found with a diligent search.
Tracklist:1. Momentum
2. Autumn Leaves
3. The Best Thing For You Is Me
4. Nobody Else But Me
5. We'll Be Together
6. Just Friends
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Fileserve @ 320K