Kenny Drew has many great piano trio albums and some piano solo albums as you know.
But these 2 albums I got recently are not trio or solo...but DUO which I think are really RARE.
Kenny Drew on Piano and Wilbur Ware on Bass
Jackets designs are great too with beautiful women half naked...
1st album is
Kenny Drew I Love Jerome Kern On Riverside Reissued by Victor Music Japan
This is a SMJ Series in the mid 70's and pressing as well as sound quality are superb.
2nd album is
Kenny Drew A Harold Arlen Showcase on Judson Reissued by Wave Japan
This is a WWLJ Series in the early 90's. Basically, Wave Japan used Fantasy US to press most of the titles of Prestige and Riverside with this WWLJ Series but....somehow...this title was cut and pressed at Toyo Kasei in Japan. Without a doubt, the pressing and sound quality of this title are superb.
Judson is a sister label of Riverside and originally, these 2 piano duo titles were recorded and released in the late 50's.
For many years, these 2 titles have been sought out titles among the jazz collectors in Japan and even these reissues are hard for you to get!!
Beautiful half naked women are standing out in these jackets. and With Wave reissue of A Harold Arlen Showcase, they didn't put their serial WWLJ on the sleeve and label which I like.
Thre is another interesting thing with Wave reissue...the insert. They put a cartoon short story of Kenny Drew and this album.
Really interesting approach! The story goes like this...
At a local jazz record shop, the owner and one customer are talking about Kenny Drew. And suddenly a strange woman comes in and jumps in to their conversation asking them whether they know Judson album, A Harold Arlen Showcase. She then talks about how this album is great and rare. She also talks about Drew's life and legendary sessions.
In anyway, these 2 albums are really, really RARE and underrated.
