Clark Terry

Portaits Clark Terry

First released in 1989 by Chesky Records, “Portraits” is a testament to the extraordinary talent of legendary trumpeter, flugelhornist and jazz educator Clark Terry. “Portraits,” the first of four albums for the audiophile label, was recorded at a time when the St. Louis-born horn player, aged 68, was recognized worldwide as a highly respected jazz musician. Clark Terry had already released 35 albums (!) and could look back on an impressive career that included collaborations with legends such as Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie, underscoring his musical significance. For “Portraits,” produced by David Chesky himself, Terry assembled an outstanding quartet consisting of pianist Don Friedman, bassist Victor Gaskin and drummer Lewis Nash. Terry switched between flugelhorn and muted trumpet and occasionally showed off his athletic scat singing talent, which comes to the fore in his composition “Finger Filibuster.”

The quartet plays a mix of well-known jazz standards such as “Pennies From Heaven” and, surely a highlight, “Sugar Blues” – a nostalgic nod to New Orleans jazz. Scott Yanow (AllMusic) writes about “Portraits”: “Terry's positive and instantly recognizable sound, along with his creative, bop-influenced ideas, combine to form a very accessible style... All of the songs are tributes to various trumpeters, and some, such as ”Pennies From Heaven,“ ”Little Jazz,“ and ”I Don't Wanna Be Kissed,“ were not played very often by the flugelhornist; the result is fresh and very inspired.” We are delighted that Chesky Records is finally re-releasing this jazz gem – this time in the superior One-Step process, pressed on 180-gram vinyl (33 RPM)!