Soul Street

by Scott YanowA popular yet underrated tenor saxophonist, Jimmy Forrest is featured in several different settings on this 1998 CD reissue. Forrest matches wits with fellow tenors King Curtis and Oliver Nelson on "Soul Street" (his opening phrase is a classic), plays three standards (including an effective "Sonny Boy") with a combo that includes pianist Hugh Lawson and is featured on "I Wanna Blow, Blow, Blow" with a nonet also featuring trombonist Buster Cooper. The remainder of the CD has Forrest showcased on three numbers with an octet arranged by Oliver Nelson. These tracks are of lesser interest (particularly Henry Mancini's "Experiment in Terror") but still include some fine tenor playing. With this reissue, all of Forrest's work for the Prestige and New Jazz labels has been made available on CD.