本盤の内容に関わらず (もちろん内容も素晴らしいのですが)、このステキなレーベルデザインだけでグッときてしまいます。

So what a fastinating and swinging label design this is (of course the musical content is also superb).

    

Rampage c/w Booby Hatch / Allan Eager
(Savoy [US] 611)

極端にリーダー録音が少ないのに熱心なマニアの多い (?) 伝説の Allan Eager (あるいは Allen Eager、アレン・イーガー)。彼が 1946年に Savoy レーベルに残したリーダーセッションは、この “Rampage c/w Booby Hatch (Savoy 611)、“Vot’s Dot” (Savoy 621)、“Symphony Sid’s Idea (aka Zadah)” (Savoy 909) に収録されました (Savoy 621 の裏面は Don Byas の “September In The Rain”、Savoy 909 の裏面は Stan Getz の “And The Angels Swing” だそうです)。

The legendary Allan Eager (aka Allen Eager) – although he left few leader recordings, there have been many huge fans of him. His 1946 recording on Savoy label was issued on “Rampage c/w Booby Hatch (Savoy 611), “Vot’s Dot” (Savoy 621) and “Symphony Sid’s Idea (aka Zadah)” (Savoy 909). The flipside of the Savoy 621 was “September In The Rain” by Don Byas, while the flipside of Savoy 909 was “And The Angels Swing” by Stan Getz.

A面の “Rampage”。これはもう 倍速再生した Lester Young といった趣で、極上のバップテナーが堪能でき、間違いなくこのミュージシャンにしか表現しえない世界がここにあります。B面の “Booby Hatch” も同様に快調にフレーズを紡ぎ出し続ける Eager のショーケースです。

On Side-A “Rampage”, Allan Eager plays one of the best examples of what the Bop tenor sax should be played – sounding like Lester Young playing in a double speed. This is Allan Eager, and such performance cannot be done by anybody else. Side-B “Booby Hatch” is also a showcase of Allan Eager who continuously spins his artistry into fluent improvisations.

ただ、両面を通して、折角の Max Roach のドラムスが (4小節ドラムソロを除いて) ややオフマイク気味なのが残念ですし、Bob Carter (レーベル上のクレジットは Bob Kahaklao) のベースが極端に後ノリで、全体のスピード感をスポイルしている感なきにしもあらずなのがなんとも。

On the other hand, it is a pity that Max Roach’s fabulous drumming is not fully captured on appropriate recording volume (except the last drum solo), and Bob Carter’s running bass (credited on label as Bob Kahaklao) sometimes goes out of rhythm which spoils the entire mood of speed.

Side-A: Rampage (Ed Finckel)
Side-B: Booby Hatch (Allan Eager)

Allan Eager (ts), Ed Finckel (p), Bob Kahaklao (aka Bob Carter) (b), Max Roach (ds).
Recorded in NYC (?) on March 22, 1946.