Morning Mist

by Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.Despite talent galore, certain artists never become widely known because they remain out of the spotlight. In jazz, for instance, leaders of innovative styles receive more copy than accompanists who only occasionally record their own dates. Guitarist Chuck Wayne bopped his way through the '40s and '50s playing with Dizzy Gillespie, George Shearing, and Tony Bennett. Recorded for Prestige in 1964, Morning Mist was one of the small number of albums Wayne recorded as a leader. He's joined by bassist Joe Williams and drummer Ronnie Bedford for intimate, short takes on ten pieces. Recorded in one day, originals like Wayne's "Shalimar" rub shoulders with the Gershwin brothers' "Someone to Watch Over Me" and Ellington/Persons' "Things Ain't What They Used to Be." Wayne's gentle touch runs toward the cool side of bop, though he's certainly capable of passionate work, as on "See Saw." The guitarist renders himself most distinct, surprisingly, when he sets the guitar aside for the banjo on Stephen Sondheim's "Lovely." Perhaps someone on Prestige's folk roster left the banjo behind in the studio, but whatever the reason for the choice, it was an inspired one. Morning Mist is a likable album and guitar lovers unfamiliar with Wayne's gifts will be glad Original Jazz Classics reissued it in 2003.