Billboard : 12/16/1957
Score of 72

The set contains four lengthy tracks, providing well-executed solo and group work. Often-used “challenge” idea points up the similarity in styles between Coltrane and Jaspar on sax and Sulieman and Young on trumpets. The talented crew presents a package that could go well with modernists if shown.

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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.

…

Interplay for Two Trumpets and Two Tenors is an extended free-blowing session which, I suspect, will be found of more interesting to trumpetmen and tenormen than to fans. This is complicated stuff and will gas only those who know what it is about.

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Down Beat : 04/03/1958
John A. Tynan : 4 stars

As Ira Gitler points out in his helpfully detailed notes, this is a blowing session “… wherein the musicians do not stop their improvisations after 16 bars or a chorus.” In the three swingers and one ballad, Soul Eyes, – all credited to Waldron – there is more than ample space to stretch in solos by everybody except Taylor. If every soloist is not consistently brilliant, well, that’s one of the beauties of jazz. Free, loose and swinging expression is the watchword in this set.

After a sloppy opening by the four horns, Interplay continues with a series of choruses by Sulieman, Coltrane, Young, Jaspar, Burrell, Waldron, and Chambers, in that order. As they begin to warm up in the second round of solos, Jaspar hits his stride. The Belgian’s work throughout the album is on a consistently high level, particularly in the closing ballad, Soul Eyes.

Coltrane reveals himself as an impassioned, compulsive musical personality in the various tracks. In his exchanges of eights with Jaspar, in Anatomy he sometimes squawks like an outraged hen. Always, however, his is hard hitting, plunging conception and, as Gitler notes, he is “… a cruising, long-lined, digging-in swinger.”

The trumpets are warmly contrasted in the different exchanges. Sulieman displays good range and stimulating ideas, though tends lazily to play around too much, dangerously flirting with clichés in Anatomy. Young on the other hand, is consistently thoughtful in a distinct Miles Davis vein, though at times one wishes he would open up and fully unleash his undoubted talent.

All in the rhythm section shine with varying brilliance. Burrell’s solo voice is unmistakenly his very own and his unamplified rhythm guitar (particularly in Light Blue) provides a welcome punch to the rhythm. Chambers fiercely growls into his bowed chorus in Interplay; picks with strength and imagination in Light Blue. Though a little too busy at times, rapping distracting drum figures behind soloists, Taylor’s time and drive provides a constant pulse.

Finally, there’s Waldron’s piano left hand, sending musical code messages as the right weaves angular patterns on his own Soul Eyes. The writing for this is a relaxing change of pace, as the horns richly open and close the piece under Sulieman’s lyrical open horn.

Spirited blowing by some of the younger lights, Interplay is worth a place in any contemporary library.

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Liner Notes by Ira Gitler

“Blowing sessions”, a colloquialism for gatherings wherein the musicians do not stop their improvisations after 16 bars or a chorus, fall into three general categories in regard to character. There is the “cutting” session where each musician, especially those of the same instrument, tries to outdo the others with a resultant atmosphere of tense competition; secondly, the session in which everyone goes their own way in their solo spots; third, the one that engenders a warm, empathetic team-play affair. All three are capable of producing valid jazz, each of its own particular stripe, but the best feeling is usually achieved by the last named.

Interplay, the album, is just what the name represents, an exchange of ideas, and a warmth in doing so, among eight musicians. Although the contrast of styles is present in each instrumental division, this does not hamper the feeling of empathy.

What occurs in the solos and numerous exchanges, the latter ranging from one chorus to four bars, is a study in “hot” and “cool” with Idrees Sulieman and John Coltrane representing the former and Webster Young and Bobby Jaspar the latter.

The other soloists, Kenny Burrell, Mal Waldron and Paul Chambers (in the inflection of both his arco and pizzicato bass solos) are essentially “hot” too.

Sulieman is plunging, biting and soaring; his style resides in the Dizzy Gillespie wing of the modern trumpet house.

Young is directly in the Miles Davis line both soundwise and in regard to phrasing.

Coltrane is a cruising, long-lined, digging-in swinger out of Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt and like Sulieman has developed something extremely personal out of his influences.

Jaspar, first influenced by Stan Getz, has been more recently touched by Zoot Sims. That he is somewhat swayed by Coltrane in this session is evident in some of the uncharacteristic double-time runs that he executes.

This is where the horns stand stylistically. The continuity they achieve as they contrast is all the more admirable. I might add that the “cool” applied to Young and Jaspar never, in any of its aspects, signifies cold.

Interplay, the title number opens the session. A “rhythm” swinger by Mal Waldron (he contributed all the lines), it features the four horn soloists in three rounds of one chorus apiece with Kenny Burrell playing rhythm guitar. The order in each round is Sulieman, Coltrane, Young and Jaspar. Then Burrell, Waldron and Chambers (bowed) has one chorus apiece before the out chorus.

Anatomy finds the soloists from the rhythm section leading off. Burrell, Chambers (bowed) and Waldron have two choruses of four bars apiece followed by Jaspar and Coltrane who have one chorus of eight bar exchanges and another of four bar conversations.

Light Blue is a blue which opens with two choruses of straight rhythm. Burrell plays rhythm guitar throughout the piece as he did in Interplay. In the third and fourth choruses Waldron does some stage-setting noodling and then Burrell has two solo choruses. After the theme is played, Jaspar, Sulieman (picking up the ball beautifully from Bobby), Coltrane, young, Burrell, Chambers (picked) and Waldron each have two of the twelve bar choruses to themselves before the bawling, brawling line is re-stated.

Soul Eyes, an original ballad by Mal, has an unusual ensemble texture that suggests the kind of thing that Miles Davis’ 1949-50 band did with the aid of tuba and trombone on Moondreams. The beautiful open horn is by Sulieman and Coltrane’s soulful tenor sounds like an alto on the bridge. Solos in this collective ballad are by Burrell, Young (muted), Coltrane, Waldron (employing some of his telegraph style), Sulieman and Jaspar.

Once again the “blowing session” has proven to be one of the main sources of nourishment to the jazz idiom. I’m tired of the over-intellectual critics who sigh tiredly, “Oh, another blowing session.” They fail to remember that jazz has many sides and by their narrow-mindedness have forgotten about the essential spirit that all jazz requires.

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Biographies

John Coltrane : born in Hamlet, NC, in 1926. Studied Alto horn, clarinet, then saxophone in high school. Attended music schools in Philadelphia. During forties played with Navy band. With Dizzy Gillespie orchestra on alto sax in 1949-50. Gillespie combo on tenor in 1950-51. Has also played with Earl Bostic, Johnny Hodges. Joined Miles Davis in 1955 and remained with him until 1957. Summer and fall of ’57 with Thelonious Monk at Five Spot Café. Favorites are Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz. Can be heard in Coltrane (Prestige LP 7105).

Bobby Jaspar : born in Liege, Belgium in 1926. Studied piano and clarinet in teens. Active in Paris in early fifties with Henri Renaud. Own group from 1954-56 and recorded with many American musicians in France. Came to New York in 1956. Worked with J.J. Johnson, touring Sweden with him in summer of 1957. Married to singer-pianist Blossom Dearie. Main tenor influences are Stan Getz and Zoot Sims. Also plays excellent flute. Can be heard on both in Flute Soufflé (Prestige LP 7101).

Idrees Sulieman : born in St. Petersburg, FL, in 1923. Comes from a musical family. Studied at Boston Conservatory. Played with Thelonious Monk in mid-forties and also with the big bands of Cab Calloway, Earl Hines, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie. Favorite jazz trumpeters are Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown. Can be heard in Three Trumpets (Prestige LP 7092).

Webster Young : born in Columbia, SC, in 1932. Moved to Washington, D.C. at early age and was raised there. Played in an Army band with Hamp Hawes, later in Washington in civilian life with Rick Henderson, Lloyd Price and Buck Hill. Arrived in New York in 1956. Digs Miles Davis. Has been playing in Jazz Disciples with Jackie McLean and Ray Draper. Can be heard in For Lady (Prestige LP 7106).

Kenny Burrell : born in Detroit in 1931. His three brothers are all musicians. Holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Wayne University. Played with Dizzy Gillespie in 1951. Led own groups in Detroit until 1955 when he did a brief stint with Oscar Peterson. Prominent in freelance work around New York in the mid-fifties. Also with Benny Goodman. Favorites are Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Moore. Can be heard in Kenny Burrell (Prestige LP 7088).

Mal Waldron : born in New York in 1926. Played alto sax first, piano during studies at Queens College where he also studied composition and received a B.A. Appeared importantly with Charlie Mingus in mid-fifties. In 1957 became accompanist to Billie Holiday. Favorites are Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. Can be heard in Mal-2 (Prestige LP 7111).

Paul Chambers : born in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1935. Began by playing baritone horn and tuba around Detroit. Switched to bass. Worked with Detroit combos including Kenny Burrell’s. Went on the road with Paul Quinichette in 1954. Came to New York and played with Bennie Green, Jay & Kai, George Wallington and Miles Davis. Most of 1956-57 was spent with Miles’ group. Favorites are Jimmy Blanton and Oscar Pettiford. Can be heard in Red Garland‘s Piano (Prestige LP 7086).

Art Taylor : born in New York in 1929. Studied previously with Chuck Morrison. Has played with Coleman Hawkins, Buddy DeFranco, George Wallington, Bud Powell, Miles Davis and the Jazz Lab group. Favorites are Max Roach and Art Blakey. Can be heard in numerous Prestige LPs including Mal-2 (Prestige LP 7111).