Sahib Shihab - Complete Sextets Sessions 1956-1957 (2019)

One of the trademarks of Barcelona's Fresh Sounds label is its manner of compiling the complete sessions by an artist, usually the leading lights of hard bop, mainstream, cool, and the West Coast jazz scenes early in their respective careers. These 1956-1957 sides by saxophonist Sahib Shihab were the first to really showcase him as he came into his own as a bandleader, and as a session musician who could write his own ticket. (He moved to Europe two scant years later: he relocated to Europe in 1959, settled in Denmark, and didn't return for 16 years.) Shihab had been playing professionally since he was 16, and had previously worked with Fletcher Henderson, Roy Eldridge, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Tadd Dameron, Lucky Thompson, Miles Davis, and most importantly, Dizzy Gillespie, where he first made his mark as a baritone player of great taste, power, and swing; he was in his thirties before he led his own group. Even here, on a volume under his own name, there is only one full LP to his credit, the killer Jazz Sahib and four cuts he led on. The rest comprises two albums under bassist Mort Herbert's leadership, and some compilation sides on which Shihab played. That said, there isn't anything generic or unsatisfying about the music here. The Herbert's sides were released as Night People and Jazz After Hours (the latter is a bit confusing since Shihab led on two of the cuts).