Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand

AllMusic Review by Scott Yanow

This CD reissue has an unusual match-up that works pretty well. Although veteran swing tenor Buddy Tate plays Abdullah Ibrahim's vamp tune "Goduka Mfundi," in most cases it is the pianist (at the time known as Dollar Brand) who goes the extra distance to make Tate comfortable. Ibrahim's other original for the quartet (which also includes bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Roy Brooks) is a blues; otherwise the repertoire is comprised of swing standards such as "Poor Butterfly" and "Just You, Just Me." Ibrahim plays quite sparsely and sometimes drops out altogether behind Tate. The tenor (who is in top form) easily emerges as the solo star. The CD adds two previously unissued trio numbers without Tate ("Shrimp Boats" and "Django") from the same day that give Ibrahim more of a chance to shine. Worth investigating.

Buddy Tate Meets Dollar Brand Chiaroscuro Records 00:00 A1 Goduka Mfundi (Going Home) (Dollar Brand) 07:17 A2 Heyt Mazurki (Dollar Brand) 14:13 A3 Poor Butterfly (Raymond Hubbell) 22:45 B1 In A Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington) 30:18 B2 Doggin' Around (Edgar Battle, Herschel Evans) 35:01 B3 Just You, Just Me (Jesse Greer) Bass – Cecil McBee Drums – Roy Brooks Piano – Dollar Brand Tenor Saxophone – Buddy Tate Recorded at Downtown Sound
New York City 25 August, 1977