Fats and Tad

Eight of the 11 Sonny Rollins and Fats Navarro cuts on "The Amazing Bud Powell, Volume One" are on the two-disk "The Complete Blue Note and Capitol Recordings of Fats Navarro and Tad Dameron" as well. I don't regret buying both because the Navarro-Dameron sets include 28 other pieces in a bop or prebop mode that also approximate Miles Davis' "Birth of the Cool." (See "Lady Bird.") Even the alternate takes, which normally don't do much for me, are interesting because of the radical tempo shifting that takes place from take to take. Navarro is every bit of Dizzy Gillespie and the lineup of sax gods showing Charlie Parker-like licks, besides Mr. Rollins, is extensive, Charlie Rouse, Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray for three. Really, every song includes an all-star collection of bop pioneers. I should listen to this more.