Pat Moran Quartet, While At Birdland, VG+, Bethlehem, B

$

72

VG+ on vinyl, one scuff that resembles a very small eraser on a pencil.  Otherwise EX. Super lustre.  Sleeve is VG, still very glossy, but the coating is starting to flake off in a couple of spots, but still shiny underneath.  Shipping is $5. 

I re-evaluated the record under flourescent light and stand by my original grading of VG+. The handful of scratches (less than 5) are there if you look at the record under extreme scrutiny. All of the scratches are no more than a quarter inch long. There is no groove wear or handling wear except for the blem you seen on the label. The record has very high lustre and still has that static cling of a new record. Cover is VG to VG+ No ring wear, split seams, writing etc. Some edge wear, probably more from transport than handling. Yes, Goldmine standards. I'm not delusional about my records.

Pat Moran led an unusual quartet for a time in the 1950s, consisting of three instrumentalists (Moran on piano, bassist John Doling, and drummer John Whited) who also sang, plus a fourth vocalist, Beverly Kelly. They only made two records for Bethlehem (as well as adding backing vocals to Mel Tormé's Songs for Any Taste) before disbanding, but both of them are included in this two-CD set reissued in 1992. On disc one, which was originally issued as The Pat Moran Quartet, the group varies their routine, interspersing instrumentals with tightly arranged group vocals or Kelly as the sole singer, never failing to swing and showcasing the leader's strong chops on the keyboard. Though some of the group vocal arrangements seem like a throwback to groups of a decade earlier, the harmonies are always right on the mark and enjoyable. There are some surprises on the second half of this reissue. "It Never Entered My Mind" seems like an obvious candidate for their group vocals, but Moran tackles it as a dramatic piano solo instead. The quartet is augmented by six additional musicians on half of the numbers from disc two (all first issued as While at Birdland), though none of them are credited anywhere in the liner notes or on the CD tray card. Nat Pierce conducts the expanded band with bassist Oscar Pettiford, flutist Sam Most, trumpeter Burt Collins, trombonist Earl Swope, and alto saxophonists Anthony Ortega and Dick Meldonian. Some of these numbers are a bit uneven, though the lightly swinging take of "Just Squeeze Me" works well. Unavailable since Evidence quit its distribution of Bethlehem reissues, this set is well worth picking up.

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