For bebop lovers! In 1948 pianist Tadd Dameron, a composer of many good tunes, took a sextet of great musicians into New York’s legendary Royal Roost. One of the numbers recorded was ‘The Tadd Walk’, not one of Dameron’s best compositions but it featured the excellent and now-forgotten tenor sax player Allen Eager and the Parker partner Fats Navarro on trumpet. Rudy Williams on alto is also long forgotten though Curly Russell (bass) and drummer Kenny Clarke made a bigger impact on the jazz scene. Primitive recording techniques on live sessions make this a hard but worthwhile listening experience. 1948’s jazz scene was full of musicians who were on fire and lived for their music.
The Tadd Walk: By Allen Eager
