Saxophonist Budd Johnson made a series of excellent recordings for producer Stanley Dance in February 1958 and June 1967. The 1958 dates (septet and quintet) featured trumpeter Charlie Shavers; the septet included trombonist Vic Dickenson and Al Sears, who blew the baritone sax instead of his customary tenor. Pianists were Ray Bryant and Bert Keyes, who also played organ. The bassist in 1958 was Joe Benjamin; the drummer was Kansas City Jo Jones. The music is outstanding. Destination Blues is particularly strong, with all of the horns in fine fettle. The collective energy, especially what boils up out of the quintet on Blues by Five is spectacular, with Benjamin and Jones each working up exhilarating solos and Charlie Shavers blowing his top in heated exchanges with Budd Johnson. The inclusion of four powerful tracks recorded in 1967 with the Earl Hines Trio transforms a superb reissue into one of the strongest entries in the entire Lone Hill Jazz catalog. Using both the tenor and soprano saxophones, Budd Johnson blew some of the best jazz of his entire career. The tenor feels especially warm and muscular, while Johnson's soprano sax invokes the great Sidney Bechet, an influence he was always proud to acknowledge. ~ arwulf arwulf, Rovi

1		Foggy Nights
2		Leave Room in Your Heart for Me
3		Destination Blues
4		Blues à la Mode
5		Used Blues
6		Blues by Fire
7		Louisiana
8		Summertime
9		Changin' the Blues
10		Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone