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Jimmy Forrest – Black Forrest
Delmark DD 427 (1999)
Compact Disc

Grant Green's recorded debut!

The swinging no-nonsense bebop enclosed here is proof that Jimmy Forrest should be included in the list of top jazz tenor sax players. These musicians were, at the time, with the well known trumpeter Harry “Sweets” Edison, except Grant Green who was brought to Chicago for this, his recorded debut.

with Grant Green, Elvin Jones, Harold Mabern, Harry "Sweets" Edison



1. Black Forrest 5:15
2. Dog It 4:41
3. These Foolish Things 6:02
4. Sunkenfoal 5:49
5. You Go To My Head 4:38
6. Black Forrest 2:23
7. What’s New? 2:06
8. But Beautiful 4:14
9. All The Gin Is Gone 4:43
*10. These Foolish Things (alternate) 4:13

*previously unissued

Jimmy Forrest, tenor sax
Harold Mabern, piano
Grant Green, guitar
Gene Ramey, bass
Elvin Jones, drums

Recorded December 10 & 12, 1959

Although Jimmy Forrest is generally not included in the list of top jazz tenor sax players like Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Lester Young he most certainly should be. The swinging no-nonsense bebop enclosed here is proof. All of the players were, at the time, with the well-known trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison with the exception of Grant Green who was brought to Chicago for this, his recorded debut.


Although he hasn’t been in the vanguard of hero-worshipped tenormen for some time now, Jimmy Forrest, after a very serious health setback which kept him musically inactive for a good five years, is now blowing up a storm once again! Working on the West Coast, mostly with his long-time friend, trumpeter Harry "Sweet" Edison, Jimmy is endeavoring to put a nationwide tour together that will give music fans a new opportunity to hear him in person with his own particular approach to this mysterious art form called Jazz.
When Jimmy cut his first album for Delmark a few years ago, All The Gin Is Gone, (Delmark 404) we felt at that time the choice of takes and selections we then issued did not give the complete picture of the Forrest idiom. Here now are the other selections we had considered releasing back then.
The personnel, at the time of the original recordings, were working under the leadership of the very same Harry Edison, with the exception of guitarist Grant Green, who at Jimmy’s insistance, was flown into Chicago from St. Louis for this, his very first date. Elvin Jones, who has since gained great fame in the percussion world is on drums, Harold Mabern is the pianist, and veteran Gene Ramey is on bass. As we said before, Jimmy Forrest is once again active in the music field, and we sincerely hope we can record a new Delmark album with this tremendously talented artist. Until then we offer you this excellent collection of robustly melodic and swinging tenor playing that is the creative voice of a true tenor saxophone great, Jimmy Forrest. Dig it well!
-- Joe Segal, 1972

1. Black Forrest 5:15
2. Dog It 4:41
3. These Foolish Things 6:02
(Link/Strachey, Bourne Co., ASCAP)
4. Sunkenfoal 5:49
5. You Go To My Head 4:38
(Coots/Gillespie, Songwriters Guild, ASCAP)
6. Black Forrest 2:23
7. What’s New? 2:06
(Haggart/Burke, Wittmark & Sons/BMG Songs/Spirit Two Music, ASCAP)
8. But Beautiful 4:14
(Burke/Van Heusen, Bourne Co., ASCAP)
9. All The Gin Is Gone 4:43
10. These Foolish Things (alternate) 4:13