Billboard : 12/30/1957
Score of 80

An uninhibited, blowing session by four “Parker-oriented” altoists that exudes more than its share of heat, and allows for extended improvisations. All four play in facile probing manner, but it is Phil Woods who is most consistently gratifying. Strong, virile-sounding rhythm helps cause along. Modern buyer who inclines to propulsive, outgoing brand of jazz will go for this in big way. Try T. Charles composition, Kakochee, or Stein‘s Kinda Kanonic as demo bands.

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Cash Box : 1/25/1958

Four of jazzdom’s foremost alto saxists team up to offer some great readings. With a capable rhythm section consisting of Mal Waldron (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), and Louis Hayes (drums), the four saxists come in with some impressive treatments such as Don’t Blame Me, No More Nights, Pedal Eyes, and Kinda Kanonic. The platter is a welcome addition to the jazz shelf.

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San Francisco Chronicle
Ralph J. Gleason : 02/09/1958

Woods, Gene Quill, Hal Stein and Sahib Shihab split the alto solos backed by a swinging rhythm section. The music is all rather frantic and none of the performers have entirely escaped from the Charlie Parker style but there are signs here and there of something new.

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San Francisco Examiner
C.H. Garrigues : 01/26/1958

One of the most cheering thoughts in a record world seemingly given over to the trivial and the meretricious springs from the steady (and apparently profitable) flow of solid jazz records from a few of the smaller companies which steadfastly refuse to compromise their good quality or good taste. Among these labels are Atlantic, Bethlehem, Blue Note, Debut and Prestige, which is perhaps the most dependable of the lot.

On Prestige’s first team are men like Donald Byrd, Idrees Suliman and Bill Hardman, trumpets; John Coltrane, Gene Ammons, Jackie McLean and Sahib Shihab, saxes; Mal Waldron, piano; Kenny Burrell, guitar; Paul Chambers, bass, and Art Taylor, drums. None of these men (unless it be Byrd and possibly Coltrane) is a champion and yet there is not a one who is not a runner-up. And, in addition, Prestige has a second team which includes Thad Jones and Webster Young, trumpets; Bobby Jaspar and Frank Wess, flutes and tenors; Paul Quinichette, tenor; Phil Woods and Gene Quill, altos, and Red Garland, piano.

All this is by way of introduction to a handful of new Prestige albums, most of which are worthy of extended individual review but which constitute enough of a picture to be considered as a group. Each exemplifies the modern, hard bop trend in jazz; together they show nearly best (but, I think, not THE best) in this type of jazz.

…

Four Altos features Woods and Quill (both earnest followers in the Parker footsteps) together with Shihab and Hal Stein. For me it doesn’t swing; it seems they are trying to do what Parker did without feeling what he felt.

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Down Beat : 03/20/1958
Don Gold : 3 stars

Bird is dead, but the melody lingers on.

There is a distinct element of retrogression inherent in this set. The four altos project in the Bird manner, shouting ferociously through the six tracks. The material is divided between disguised standards and blowing session jumping off riffs.

The four altos in unison is a fierce sound. And this, in a solo sense, is a generally violent set. There is little harmonic interplay among the saxes, but the soloists charge through, sweating out their dues to Bird.

Stein‘s playing is reasonably attractive. Shahib and Woods are the most fluent, in the Bird tradition. Quill is wildly passionate, but his tone is strident. The rhythm section is out of Minton’s, with Waldron characteristically mature.

After hearing this LP, and listening attentively, I had the feeling I’d heard it all before. The frenzied statements are there, and capable musicianship, too. But it’s Bird all over again. I would have preferred to hear one alto playing individualistically to four in such obvious echoes of the glorified past.

The cover photo is strikingly appropriate.

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Liner Notes by Ira Gitler

It would seem to follow that a recording involv­ing four modern alto saxophonists would be bathed in the light given off by the golden Buddha-like statue that exists nowhere but in our minds, symbolically representing Charlie Parker and the musical legacy he left.

Sometimes the light illuminates and other times it blinds but the four players here, immersed in the Parker tradition to varying degrees, are not just copying Bird. And who can? Even the ones who set out to do so are only able to capture one side of his may faceted musical makeup.

Sahib Shihab is the veteran among the four horns, Born in Savannah, Georgia in 1925, he studied with Elmer Snowden from 1935-1939 and at the Boston Conservatory in 1941-42. His first professional job was with Luther Henderson in 1938; he later played, in the early and mid-forties with Fletcher Henderson, Roy Eldridge and Buddy Johnson. Then he centered his activities in New York, playing and recording with Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey and Tadd Dameron. In the Fifties, he turned his attention to the baritone saxophone and was heard with Dizzy Gillespie‘s combo in 1951-52. Illinois Jacquet was another leader who benefited from his all-around ability; Shihab toured Europe with him in 1954. In late 1957, Shihab fronted his own group and appeared with Oscar Pettiford‘s quintet. Sahib’s favorite alto players, Benny Carter, Willie Smith and Charlie Parker, can be heard in his interpretations. His sound, with a much wider vibrato than the others on this date, and some of his phrasing is linked to Carter and Smith while the main portion of his phrasing and thematic material stems from Parker.

For Harold Jerome Stein, this is his second long playing recording. Hal was both in Weehawken, New Jersey on September 5, 1928. He took up the clarinet at 11 and the tenor saxophone four years later. At 15 1/2, he sat in with Don Byas on 52nd Street and appeared in a Best in American Jazz concert presented by Specs Powell at Town Hall in the fall of 1945. Two years later he was working with Roy Haynes and Rudy Williams in sessions at the 845 Club in the Bronx. Among the participants were Fats Navarro, Roy Eldridge and Ben Webster so that by the time Hal entered Juilliard in 1950, he had acquired some valuable experience in jazz. In 1951, while still in school, the Army called him and eventually he was shipped to the Far East. During 1952-53, he played seven months with Toshiko in Tokyo before landing in Korea where he found time, among his duties, to pick up the alto sax. On his discharge in 1954, Hal continued to play tenor but shifted his emphasis to the smaller horn. In late 1955 he joined Teddy Charles‘ New Directions group and worked with him, off and on, through the next two years. During that time he was also with the bands of Les Elgart (1956) and Larry Sonn (1957). His original tenor style was born in the Hawkins, Webster, Byas mode but he had evolved to Charlie Parker before he ever began to play alto. His alto has a softer sound than usually found in the style he plays, possibly because of his evolution on tenor. His favorite saxophonists are Bird, John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. Trumpeter Warren Fitzgerald, with whom he did much playing in the Fifties, comes in for strong mention. The end of 1957 found Hal attending the Manhattan School of Music and playing with his own small group in New Jersey.

Phil and Quill, Woods and Gene, go together in a group of their own these days. Their styles were similar in in several ways and have tended, quite naturally, to grow closer since the formation of their duo. Both can cry and shout on their horns and make extensive use of the upper register’s reaches which Stein, for instance, usually eschews. Phil flows hotly along while Gene’s conception bites phrases off in a more jagged manner.

Phil Woods came to this session via his birthplace of Springfield, Massachusetts (November 2, 1931); studies beginning in 1948, with Lennie Tristano, at the Manhattan School of Music (one semester), Julliard (four years); big band experience with Richard Hayman, Charlie Barnet (1954), Neal Hefti (1955), Dizzy Gillespie (1956, including Asian and South American tours), small group work with Jimmy Raney (1954), George Wallington (1955), Friedrich Gulda (1956); recordings with many of the above aggregations, his own combos and finally Phil and Quill (hear Prestige LP 7115). His preferred altomen are Bird, of course, Jackie McLean and Gene Quill. Married in 1957 to Charlie Parker’s widow, Chan, Phil is now teaching the alto to Bird’s son, Baird. Many critics consider Woods the best of the younger altos in the Parker tradition.

Gene Quill born in Atlantic City, New Jersey (December 15, 1927), broke into the music business at the age of 13 at the famous Steel Pier in his hometown. A big band musician for most of his career with the likes of Jerry Wald, Art Mooney, Buddy DeFranco, Claude Thornhill, Gene Krupa and most recently Johnny Richards, Gene is really beginning to assert himself in the Phil-Quill combo. What appeared to be a promising solo talent, in the short opportunities that the bands afforded him, has blossomed during 1957 in a featured role with Richards and the roomier atmosphere of extensive combo blowing. In addition to Bird, Gene has voiced a liking for the playing of Woods, Charlie Mariano, and Herb Geller.

The rhythm section assembled by Teddy Charles, who supervised the proceedings and contributed two lines for blowing, is composed of pianist Mal Waldron, himself the writer of two originals in this set, bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Louis Hayes.

Waldron, who played in the Charlie Mingus Jazz Workshop, intermittently, in the 1954-56 period and has filled the role of Billie Holiday‘s accompanist through most of 1957, began his musical career on alto and was able to present some of the horn’s salient tonal qualities in his two arrangements. Mal is a native New Yorker (born 1926) whose composing and playing is well known to Prestige customers, especially through his Mal-1 (LP 7090) and Mal-2 (LP 7111) albums. His favorite pianists are Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols.

Potter is a solid, dependable, time-proven jazz veteran who will be 40 at the end of 1958. He was with the volcanic Billy Eckstine crew in 1944-45 and is best known for his sterling service with Charlie Parker in 1947-49 and Stan Getz in 1950. In the Fifties he also worked with [Artist17919,Earl Hines and Artie Shaw. Likes Oscar Pettiford, Ray Brown and Charlie Mingus.

Hayes is at the other end of the age pole; he was 20 in May of 1957. Louis is from Detroit and comes from a drumming family. He worked with his own group and tenorman Yusef Lateef‘s unit in Detroit and came to New York in late 1956 to join Horace Silver‘s quintet. Lou’s favorites are Philly Joe Jones, Art Blakey, Max Roach and Kenny Clarke.

Pedal Eyes by Waldron demonstrates what I referred to in the paragraph concerning Mal. Solos are by Shihab, Stein, (who takes three choruses; everyone else has two) Woods, Quill and Waldron.

Kokochee by Charles will be familiar to those of you who are familiar with American Indian motifs in jazz. It’s a smoker and the order here is Woods, Quill, Shihab and Stein for a chorus apiece followed by a chorus of four bar chases in the same order. Waldron handles the bridge on the out chorus.

The other Charles line, No More Nights, is based on another set of changes quite popular with modern jazzmen. One chorus each is handled by Stein, Shihab, Quill, Woods and Waldron.

Kinda Kanonic is Hal Stein’s canonic remembrance of months past. Solo order is Quill, Woods, Stein and Shihab. After one chorus of eight bars apiece in the same order, Stein and Shihab exchange thoughts with Hayes before the theme is rejoined in midstream.

The balled of the date is Don’t Blame Me which hasn’t been heard from too often of late. Quill has the first sixteen bars and Woods comes twinning in for the bridge and the last eight. Hayes implies an upped tempo in the second chorus which is split by Stein and Shihab with Sahib playing a tag that ends the number.

Waldron’s Staggers is the closer and features two choruses apiece by Waldron, Shihab, Woods, Stein and Quill. Potter has a half chorus and the ensemble takes it out.