Jazz Premiere Washington

This LP has altoist Paul Winter's second recording as a leader (it was preceded by a 1959 date for Offbeat). Featured is Winter's Sextet which won a highly publicized Intercollegiate Jazz Festival, played at the White House and toured Latin America. Of the sidemen, best-known are pianist Warren Bernhardt, drummer Harold Jones and bassist Richard Evans; trumpeter Dick Whitsell and baritonist Les Rout remained obscure despite their talent. Most of the ten selections were composed by bandmembers and Jimmy Heath's "The Thumper" comes the closest of any of the songs to being a standard. The music was forward-thinking for the time, essentially straightahead while being open to rhythms and folk melodies from other countries, although there is little hint here of the world music/new age direction that Paul Winter would head in future years.