Tommy Flanagan - Plays The Music Of Harold Arlen (2008)

Tracklist

1.Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
2.Over the Rainbow
3.A Sleepin’ Bee
4.Ill Wind
5.Out of This World
6.One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)
7.Get Happy
8.My Shining Hour
9.Last Night When We Were Young

Personnel:
George Mraz - Bass
Connie Kay - Drums
Tommy Flanagan - Piano, Main Performer
Helen Merrill - Vocals

Tommy Flanagan is one of the most tasteful and consistently inventive of the pianists to emerge from the world of 1950s hard bop,he has his own sound within the modern mainstream.

48 at the time that he recorded his Harold Arlen tribute album in 1978, Tommy Flanagan had a successfully emerged from relative obscurity. Although an important graduate of the Detroit jazz scene of the 1950s and the leader of several rewarding record dates during 1957-61 after moving to New York, Flanagan worked as Ella Fitzgerald's pianist and music director during 1963-65 and 1968-78. While that association gave him the opportunity to work steadily and travel the world, it contributed to him not leading any record dates during 1962-74 and being in danger of being forgotten or, at the least, being taken for granted. While Flanagan headed a few sessions during 1975-77, it was not until he began leading his own trio in 1978 that his recording career blossomed.

Tommy is a product of Detroit, a city that produced so many jazzmen who would play a vital role in the new developments of the bebop era. His first instrument was the clarinet, but he began studying the piano at the age of 11, and it was not long before he acquired enough professionalism to enable him to play his first gigs.

Among his early associates were such destined-for-greatness Detroiters as Milt Jackson and Lucky Thompson. Another colleague who played a major part in his career was the tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell. Born in Kansas City but later a student a Detroit's Cass Tech., Mitchell led the combo in which Tommy played both before and after his 1951-3 Army service.



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