Four Classic Albums (Speaks Low / Swingin' Suite / The Lowest / King Cole Trio)

AVID Jazz continues with its Four Classic album series with a re-mastered 2CD release by Red Callender, complete with original artwork and liner notes.
"Speaks Low"; "Swingin' Suite" "The Lowest"; and "King Cole Trio"
Born in Virginia in 1918, George Sylvester "Red" Callender made his first recording at the age of 19 with the Louis Armstrong All Stars. Quite a start for a young teenager who would go on to have a remarkable career playing bass and tuba (which he had started playing at the age of 12), both in bands and as the go to session bass player. In the early '40's he played with the likes of Lester Young, Nat King Cole (featured here on our selection "King Cole Trio"), Errol Garner, Charlie Parker and Dexter Gordon. On another of our featured albums "Speaks Low", Red introduced the tuba to the jazz world and became known as one of the foremost exponents of the instrument in iazz. Other greats he played with during his career include Art Tatum, Benny Goodman, Billy Eckstine and Charles Mingus and at one point he even turned down a chance to play in the Duke Ellington band, although he did go on to chart success as one of B Bumble and the Stingers!!