Hollywood s Little Giant of Jazz. Marvin Jenkins Trio. Marv Jenkins Arrives / A Tribute to My People / Good Little Man, at the Rubaiyat Room / Big City

Description

MONO / STEREO
DOUBLE CD
24 BIT
DIGITALLY REMASTERED
4 LPs on 2 CDs
Best known as a pianist, Marvin Jenkins (1932-2005) was also a skilled flute play- er, tenor saxophonist, organist and a proficient composer. In the early 60s, in addi- tion to working with guitarist Barney Kessel s quartet, he recorded three excellent piano trio albums as leader. The first, Marv Jenkins Arrives (1960), an auspicious debut on the small Los Angeles label Orovox, moved a&r Neal Hefti to sign him for Reprise Records, where he recorded A Tribute to My People (1961), and Good Little Man (1962). Bassists Jack Bruce and Stanley Gilbert and drummer Kenny Dennis contributed to the good groove achieved on both.
Jenkins touch was heavy and swinging, funky without being trite. Despite nam- ing Erroll Garner and Oscar Peterson as influences, he sounded like neither. The twelve selections of the fourth album in this set, Big City, produced by Palomar Records in 1965, served as good vehicles for his talents as pianist, singer and composer, in a groovy session backed by some West Coast jazz stalwarts. That year, still with Palomar, he had a hit single, I ve Got the Blues, added here as a bonus.
Jenkins was an underrated jazzman who spent 25 years of his career as an accompanist to singer/actress Della Reese, and is best known today for his piano work on Marvin Gaye s classic 1973 recording Let s Get It On.