Walter Davis Jr. - Davis Cup (1989 Japanese Blue Note Stereo LP Limited Edition)

Vinyl: NM
Sleeve: NM
Obi: None

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Walter Davis Jr. - Davis Cup Vinyl LP - 1989 Japanese Blue Note LP Last Reissue Limited Edition Stereo with Insert

Pianist Walter Davis Jr.'s sole Blue Note session as leader captures the hard bop master leading an all-star quintet featuring trumpeter Donald Byrd, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Art Taylor. Recorded on 2 August 1959 at Rudy Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs studio and produced by Alfred Lion, the six Davis originals demonstrate his compositional gifts and his commanding piano style that made him a sought-after sideman for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and other leading groups. Released in Japan on 8 November 1989 as the first in Blue Note's LP Last Reissue programme and manufactured by Toshiba EMI with Westrex 3D-II cutting, this limited edition stereo pressing includes Japanese insert.

Davis' compositions showcase hard bop's full range, from the uptempo burners "'Smake It" and "Loodle-Lot" through the more contemplative "Sweetness" to the Latin-influenced "Rhumba Nhumba". The frontline pairing of Byrd and McLean represents complementary approaches: Byrd's warm, rounded trumpet tone meeting McLean's more angular, intense alto saxophone sound. Davis' piano work combines bebop fluency with blues feeling, his comping providing both harmonic support and rhythmic drive. The rhythm section of Jones and Taylor, both Blue Note mainstays, swings relentlessly while responding sensitively to the soloists' directions.

Van Gelder's recording captures the quintet with characteristic clarity, the stereo format allowing spatial separation between the horns while maintaining ensemble cohesion. Despite this being Davis' only Blue Note date as leader (he would appear as sideman on many others), the session demonstrates why he was so valued by bandleaders: solid compositional craft, excellent piano technique, and the ability to both support and inspire fellow musicians.