Sock – Gene Ammons
A Tadd Dameron-tinged medium up swing. Counter lines and shout chorus are notated. It's great for your drummer!
- Recording: Gene Ammons - Sock
- Recorded on: February 8, 1955
- Label: Prestige (PR 7400)
- Concert Key: D-flat
- Style: Swing (medium up)
- Trumpet - Nate Woodyard
- Tenor Sax - Gene Ammons
- Trombone - Henderson Chambers
- Baritone Sax - McKinley Easton
- Piano - John Houston
- Bass - Ben Stuberville
- Drums - George Brown
- Arranger - Gerry Valentine
Sock was recorded on February 8, 1955, despite the date appearing in some sources as November 26, 1954. It was originally issued on a 78 rpm (Prestige 911); the other side was Blue Roller, from a later session with the same personnel. The arrangement of Sock is credited to Jerry (Gerald) Valentine in Tom Lord's Jazz Discography, which may be correct; the style also recalls that of composer Tadd Dameron.
Gene's February 8 session is also important in his career since it was his first trip to engineer Rudy Van Gelder's parents' living room in Hackensack, New Jersey, to play on a recording session. Gene would play on many sessions recorded by Rudy, first in Hackensack, then in Rudy's Englewood Cliffs studio, during his career.
Gene Ammons
April 14, 1925 – July 23, 1974
Gene Ammons is the son of the great boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons. Born in Chicago, Gene studied music at Du Sable High School under Captain Walter Dyett. He left Chicago at 18 to tour with King Kolax. On September 5, 1944, at the age of 19, he made his first recording with Billy Eckstine and his Orchestra. The Eckstein band was truly legendary, with Dexter Gordon on tenor sax, Leo Parker on baritone, Dizzy Gillespie in the trumpet section, Art Blakey on drums, Tommy Potter on bass, Sarah Vaughan singing with the band, and Tadd Dameron as one of the arrangers. It was a hothouse of talent and creativity and an immense opportunity for the young Gene, whom Billy nicknamed “Jug” when the straw hats ordered for the band were too small for his head. Read more...