Billboard : 04/28/1958
Three stars

The “Big Sound” it certainly is when Gene Ammons sounds off on tenor, and he gets a real chance to do so on this new hard bop LP, including J. Richardson on flute, P. Quinichette on tenor, P. Adams on bary and J. Coltrane on alto; (his first recoding on alto to date). It’s a blowin’ session and one that will interest followers of the genre. Tunes include originals and a driving version of Irving Berlin’s Cheek to Cheek.

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Farmingdale Post (Farmingdale, NY)
Dick Levy : 07/16/1958

Besides Ammons, such jazz stalwarts as John Coltrane, Paul Quinichette, Jerome Richardson, Pepper Adams, Mal Waldron and Arthur Taylor are heard. Blue Hymn, the opener, emits funky, cool sounds that weave a magnetic web instantly encasing the listener. Ammons’ Parker like contribution on tenor and Richardson’s flute flirtations are a constant gas. Ditto Waldron’s earthy remarks. Real McCoy is a festive blues type tune featuring some wild fours between almost all artists, Cheek To Cheek receives a fleeting execution with Ammons well in command of his instrument and That’s All Is played smoothly with considerable warmth. A handsome jazz library addition.

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Metronome
Bill Coss : July, 1958

Gene Ammons’ Big Sound refers to his tenor, of course, which is big in terms of bop tenors, but not big in contrast to the tenors of the Swing era and immediately after (e.g., Hawkins, Webster to Byas). This album belongs to in the hard-bop category mostly because of its rhythm section, the presence of Coltrane (he plays alto on the record, which was his original instrument) and the frequently preaching quality of the lines and solos. But, essentially, this is rough-and-ready bop of the middle-forties with a cooking rhythm section and exotica supplied by a flute. It must, however, have been a bad day at bop rock, for Gene manages to fall into nearly every cliche of the last ten years, on the first track. There are so many familiar faces in the crowd as a matter of fact that at least the first track falls into complete boredom. For some reason (obvious enough in some cases, probably), the second track, a fast blues written by Mal Waldron, is fresher, although Coltrane has some understandable intonation trouble with his seldom-played alto. Cheek is the most exciting, but here again, the cliches abound and Taylor’s drums, though important to that excitement, are lethal, though more restrained than on other albums in this collection. That’s All, is the most thoughtful of the tracks and the solos are more consistently good than elsewhere. For my tastes, Waldron, who is only occasionally heard in these tracks, is the individual star of this relatively unimportant LP and Richardson’s musicianship can hardly be criticized, which is not always so of the others.

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Miami Herald (Miami, FL)
William G. Moeser : 07/13/1958
Two stars

The Big Sound is aptly named. The Prestige session (7132) featuring Gene Ammons, Jerome Richardson and a selection of stellar sidemen, including Pepper Adams and Paul Quinichette in an excellently-recorded jam session. The churchy Blue Hymn, and a driving Cheek to Cheek are better tracks. Lengthy solo lines run to monotony unless they are your dish.

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San Francisco Chronicle
Ralph J. Gleason : 06/22/1958
Album of the Week

Rather a good example of the contrasts between the various saxophone players on the date: the leader, P. Quinichette, J. Coltrane (on alto this time) and P. Adams. It’s a solid album with good swing and enough blowing room for everyone to prove himself.

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Down Beat : 07/10/1958
Martin Williams : 2 stars

Have it both ways. Take a tenor man who has cast his lot with the “rhythm and blues” manner (good old tonic chords), give him a modern jazz rhythm section on all the tracks, and on half of them, throw in some jazz players. Cheek is very long and very dull. Richardson doesn’t rescue it, soon is doing some r & b riffing, too, and during his solo someone rushes the beat. Waldron has the up-tempo trouble with time that he often does (more’s the pity, since he can be so effective at medium, as That’s All indicates). Hymn has a familiar melody, and Ammons gives both Parker and Young a nod before skimming into his solo, which has, I think, neither the power of a Red Prysock or Sam Taylor, nor the fluent eventfulness of a Louis Jordan or Eddie Chamblee. On That’s All Ammons gives up what was about to be a jazz solo for some mannerisms. Joiner has a good solo on that one later.

Adams does some nice rhythmic things on Hymn. On McCoy, Quinichette puts together some of his Young phrases and, if you’re as curious as I was, Coltrane plays alto in his tenor style.

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Liner Notes by Ira Gitler

Since Gene Ammons makes his home base Chicago, a plane trip for the express purpose of recording is involved any time he is summoned by Prestige. On the particular day that the above numbers were taped, Gene was supposed to arrive at Prestige before noon but he hadn’t gotten there by the time the rest of the group was assembled to leave for Van Gelder’s in New Jersey. As Mal Waldron had written charts for tenor, alto, baritone and flute, Bob Weinstock felt that it would be a good thing to go ahead with the date if a suitable replacement for Gene could be located on short notice. Paul Quinichette was available and reported immediately. Shortly thereafter Gene appeared on the scene. It was then decided that Paul should be incorporated into the proceedings anyway. Two sessions were taped.

The rhythm section of Waldron, George Joyner and Arthur Taylor backed a front line of Ammons, Pepper Adams, John Coltrane and Jerome Richardson in the first with Quinichette heard in solo but not in the ensemble. The second date, done immediately after, had just Gene and Jerome combining their diverse sounds in front of the same rhythm section. The Real McCoy and That’s All are from session one; Blue Hymn and Cheek To Cheek from the second. The other tunes will be issued in subsequent albums.

In reference to diverse sounds, this LP runs the sound range from baritone to flute with alto and tenor saxophones in between. Of course you could pit Charlie Ventura’s bass sax against Paul Horn’s piccolo (darn, I’ve gone and given some A&R man a dandy idea) but the range here is wide enough. At the bottom end of the sound ladder is Pepper Adams, a jazzman from Detroit who captured the attention of critics on both coasts in 1957 (sufficiently so to win the new star award on his instrument in the Down Beat Critics Poll) while with the bands of Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson. Pepper believes in playing the baritone as a baritone. This and his swinging approach to modern themes has brought him further acceptance from a growing audience in 1958 including the one which enjoyed his own quintet at the Five Spot in lower Manhattan.

The other end of the tonal pole is Jerome Richardson, a versatile musician who migrated from California to New York in the Fifties and has been heard in a variety of bands and groups including Lionel Hampton, Earl Hines and Chico Hamilton. Jerome, who also plays tenor, alto and clarinet, is heard here exclusively on flute and one of the most valid jazz flutes it is.

John Coltrane was an alto saxophonist when heard with Dizzy Gillespie’s big band in 1949-50. Trane switched to tenor in Diz’s combo of 1951 and made it his main instrument from then on. This is his first recording on alto, the first time, in fact, he has played it in years. His solo on The Real McCoy displays similar characteristics to his tenor but shows some rust in handling the lighter, faster horn tonally.

The middle ground is occupied by the tenor saxophones.

Paul Quinichette, who acquired his nickname of “Vice Pres” while with Count Basie from 1951 to 1953, invigorated many Prestige recording dates during 1957. He gets an obvious pleasure in blowing his horn and the happy sound that emerges is no coincidence.

Not by any means does Quinichette have a small sound but Gene Ammons definitely has the big sound. It’s big as a house, a fifteen story apartment dwelling, and very vocal too. The saxophone is most like the human voice of all the instruments and Gene is always singing on his horn. The sound and mood he evokes on That’s All reminds one strongly of Dinah Washington. You can almost hear Miss D. in places. Spirit, inseparable from Gene’s playing and present on the numerous sessions he has done for Prestige, abounds on these recordings.

Spirited is also a good adjective to use in describing the rhythm section. Pianist Waldron, an adaptable jazzman, has been associated with Gene in three previous jam sessions. He wrote The Real McCoy. Those of you who own All Mornin’ Long by the Red Garland Quintet (7130) will remember bassist George Joyner and his relentless beat. This diminutive dynamo is a strong activating force at any musical function he attends. Drummer Arthur Taylor, a Prestige veteran, restrains the outward manifestations of his exuberance much more so than Joyner but there is no doubt left to its presence by his highly charged playing.

A solo chorus by Gene opens the churchy Blues Hymn before he and Jerome present the theme. Then preacher Ammons ascends to the pulpit for a lengthy sermon, Richardson and Waldron also address the congregation before Gene returns to exorcise the blues again.

The Real McCoy is dedicated to Chicago DJ, Sid McCoy. Waldron’s swiftly moving blues feature solos by Ammons, Adams, Richardson, Coltrane, Quinichette and Waldron. The four bar exchanges are in the same order with Waldron returning to his supporting, role.

The rhythm section backs Ammons and Richardson in a driving Cheek To Cheek. Gene really cuts loose here with Joyner walking him strongly down the line. Waldron is heard in solo following Richardson.

The aforementioned That’s All is rendered with much feeling. Ammons, Richardson, Adams, Waldron and Joyner (picked) are the soloists.