Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson”Kidney Stew” (1983) Southland* TimesLine(tm):...

Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson

“Kidney Stew” (1983)

Southland

* TimesLine(tm): 808-8463. To hear an excerpt from “Kidney Stew,” call TimesLine and press * 5551.

Alto saxophonist/singer Eddie Vinson is a neglected giant of blues and jazz who could improvise like Charlie Parker, honk like Earl Bostic or lay down a cool groove like Lester Young--and shout with the authority of Wynonie Harris and the humor of Louis Jordan. A bandleader in his own right, Vinson also worked with Count Basie, Cootie Wiliams, Johnny Otis and Jay McShann, among numerous other luminar ies, in a long and fruitful career. That this multitalented entertainer seems all but forgotten a few years after his death is close to criminal. None of his finest work, recorded for the King label in the ‘40s and ‘50s, has been reissued. Of the few latter-day albums that remain in print, this one--recorded in New Orleans in 1976 and released seven years later by the tiny Southland label--has much to recommend it. Vinson’s best years as a singer clearly were behind him, but his nimble, lyrical sax work rarely had been better as he played such signature numbers as “Cleanhead Blues,” “Just a Dream,” “Juice Head Baby” and the title track. He gets sympathetic backing from Ted Easton’s Jazzband, a Dutch group, and, unlike his classic sides, the fidelity of these is excellent--warm and clear while retaining a live feel. Until some label has the good sense to reissue Vinson in his prime, this album will do very nicely.