by Scott YanowReleased for the first time in 1988, the music on this set is taken from a 1951 Jazz at the Philharmonic concert held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The septet is very different from the usual Norman Granz gang, consisting of trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonist Bennie Green, Eddie Lockjaw Davis on tenor, pianist Bobby Tucker, bassist Tommy Potter, drummer Kenny Clarke and the main solo star, altoist Sonny Criss. The five songs (four standards and a jump tune) are fairly typical for JATP (highlighted by lengthy versions of "How High the Moon" and "Perdido") and the recording quality is listenable but not pristine. However Criss' passionate playing (and that of the other musicians) makes this release of interest to collectors of historic straightahead jazz.