Billy Taylor

Billy Taylor had already been on the jazz scene for over a decade by the time of this 1957 trio date with bassist Earl May and drummer Ed Thigpen, having made a major impression on his fellow musicians, including Marian McPartland, who contributed the glowing liner notes for the record jacket. Half of the tracks consist of standards, including "There Will Never Be Another You," "The More I See You," "Will You Still Be Mine?," and "There's a Small Hotel," all played with the kind of lyricism and warm technique that Taylor has exhibited over the many decades following the making of this album. Even more compelling are the remaining songs, two of which are originals. "Sounds in the Night" begins in a dark setting before turning into a driving blues, while "Titoro" is a lively Afro-Cuban work, which McPartland speculates is derived from "Allah's Holiday." The little-known "I Never Get Enough of You" evidently never caught on, even though McPartland hinted in her text that she'd like to add it to her repertoire. There is one oddity about this LP. The pressing reviewed repeats "Will You Still Be Mine?" at the start of the second side in the place of "'Round Midnight," so it remains a question as to whether the label ever corrected this error on subsequent pressings. This long unavailable LP should appeal to fans of Billy Taylor. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide