Gerald Wiggins - The King and I + Around the World in 80 Days (2 LP on 1 CD) (2024) [Hi-Res]

The King and I
The musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, burst onto Broadway with inexhaustible pomp, presenting a sophisticated and balanced book accompanied by melodies of extraordinary beauty. When 20th Century Fox adapted this hit musical to film, it won an Academy Award for “Best Score for a Motion Picture Musical” in 1956. With the film’s success, it seemed timely to extend the triumphs of “The King and I” into yet another dimension: a jazzy version of the show’s best songs. Producer David Axelrod selected pianist Gerald Wiggins’ trio for this challenge. Wiggins, along with his colleagues, bassist Eugene Wright and drummer Bill Douglass, demonstrated their undeniable ability to maximize the quality of this music, taking advantage of his collective talent. The trio swings hard and there is such a delightful element of fun that you can’t help but enjoy the product.

Around the World in 80 Days
The growing trend of jazz combos performing the music of successful Broadway shows and notable film productions in the late 1950s indicated one thing above all: jazz was expanding its reach, always seeking new fields of expression. “Around the World in 80 Days” was another highly imaginative modern jazz performance by the Gerald Wiggins Trio of a filmscore, produced by David Axelrod. The familiar theme was played in three ways: as an up-tempo opener, a beguine, and a ballad, with Wiggins displaying a deft left hand on these tracks and the others. Wig was an extremely versatile artist with an impressive technique that allowed him to don any musical mantle he desired. Deep down, though, Gerry was always Wiggins. By dint of many hours playing together, Wiggins, Gene Wright on bass and Bill Douglass on drums, fused into a brotherly rhythm, whose common bond is the mutual desire to “always keep it swingin’.” Even after the most cursory listen to this album, its preeminent success in this regard is immediately revealed.