Gene Ammons, often known as “The Boss” was a jazz tenor saxophonist who was the son of the highly successful and influential boogie-woogie pianist of the 1930s and ‘40s, Albert Ammons. Gene’s music was characterised by being a highly accessible and straightforward style of jazz, redolent with influences from blues, R&B and soul, bringing him hits in the US R&B chart, although he embraced the innovations of bebop and integrated its techniques into his distinctive approach. He was very much a part of the soul jazz movement of the ‘60s which introduced the electric organ into the instrumentation. 

This 49-track 2-CD collection comprises recordings from sessions in the early 1950s at the dawn of the vinyl LP era. It includes tracks released on singles by the Prestige, Chess, Decca and United labels, plus titles from his early 10” albums on Prestige, “Battle Of The Saxes” and “Favourites Vols. 1, 2 & 3”. It includes his Top 10 R&B hits “My Foolish Heart” and “Jug” and a new version of his 1947 hit “Red Top”. It features recordings with Sonny Stitt, Bill Massey, Jo Jones, Duke Jordan, Tommy Potter, Art Blakey, Matthew Gee, Charles Bateman, Eugene Wright, Wesley Landers, Junior Mance, Clarence Anderson, Teddy Stewart, J.J. Johnson and others. 

It’s a great showcase for the trademark tone and texture of his playing, and an entertaining musical snapshot of his music during a key era of his career.

CD 1
1. CHA-BOOTIE Gene Ammons & His Sextet (Chess 1429) 1950 
2. FULL MOON Gene Ammons & His Sextet (Chess 1429) 1950 
3. PENNIES FROM HEAVEN Gene Ammons & His Sextet (Chess 1431) 1950 
4. THE LAST MILE Gene Ammons & His Sextet (Chess 1431) 1950 
5. BLUES UP AND DOWN Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt  1950 
6. YOU CAN DEPEND ON ME Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt  1950 
7. SEVEN ELEVEN Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt  1950 
8. STRINGIN' THE JUG - PARTS 1 & 2 Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt  1950 
9. I WANT TO BE LOVED Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt  1950 
From the LP “Battle Of The Saxes” Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt (Prestige PRLP107)
10. EASY GLIDE Gene Ammons (Prestige  PRLP112) 1950 
11. WHEN I DREAM OF YLOU Gene Ammons  1950 
12. GRAVY (WALKIN') Gene Ammons  1950 
13. LA VIE EN ROSE Gene Ammons  1950 
14. I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE Gene Ammons  1950 
15. A LOVER IS BLUE Gene Ammons  1950 
16. BYE BYE Gene Ammons  1950 
17. BACK IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD Gene Ammons  1950 
From the LP “Tenor Sax Favourites Vol. 1” (Prestige PRLP 112)
18. TENOR ELEVEN Gene Ammons Orchestra (Chess 1525) 1950 
19. GOODBYE Gene Ammons Orchestra (Chess 1428) 1950 
20. MY FOOLISH HEART Gene Ammons Orchestra (Chess  1425) 1950 
21. JUG HEAD RAMBLE Gene Ammons Orchestra (Chess 1433) 1950 
22. CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN Gene Ammons Orchestra (Chess 1433) 1950 
23. DON'T DO ME WRONG Gene Ammons Orchestra (Chess 1450) 1950 
24. JUG Gene Ammons & His Band 1951
From the LP “ Favourites Vol. 2” (Prestige PRLP 127)

CD 2
1. WOW Gene Ammons & His Band  1951 
2. BLUE AND SENTIMENTAL Gene Ammons & His Band  1951 
3. NEW BLUES UP AND DOWN PTS 1&2 Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt  1951 
4. AMMONS BOOGIE Gene Ammons & His Band  1951 
5. ECHO CHAMBER BLUES Gene Ammons & His Band  1951 
6. SIROCCO Gene Ammons & His Band  1951 
7. FINE AND FOXY Gene Ammons & His Band  1951 
From the LP “ Favourites Vol. 2” (Prestige PRLP 127)
8. BABY, WON'T YOU PLEASE SAY YES Gene Ammons Orchestra (Chess 1464) 1951 
9. HAPPINESS IS JUST A THING CALLED JOE Gene Ammons Orchestra (Chess 1464) 1951 
10. HOT STUFF Gene Ammons Quartet  1951 
11. THEM THERE EYES Gene Ammons Quartet  1951 
12. ARCHIE Gene Ammons Quartet  1951 
13. UNDECIDED Gene Ammons Orchestra  1951 
14. UNTIL THE REAL THING COMES ALONG Gene Ammons Orchestra  1951 
15. BECAUSE OF RAIN Gene Ammons Orchestra  1951 
16. CHARMAINE Gene Ammons Orchestra  1951 
17. BEEZY Gene Ammons (Decca 28222) 1952 
From the LP “ Favourites Vol. 3” (Prestige PRLP 145)
18. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY Gene Ammons (Decca 28222) 1952 
19. THE BEAT (GOOD TIME BLUES) Gene Ammons (United 137) 1952 
20. STREET OF DREAMS Gene Ammons (United 137) 1952 
21. JUST CHIPS Gene Ammons (United 149) 1952 
22. RED TOP Gene Ammons (United 149) 1953 
23. STAIRWAY TO THE STARS Gene Ammons (United 164) 1953 
24. JIM DAWGS Gene Ammons (United 164) 1953 
25. THE BIG SLAM PARTS 1 & 2 Gene Ammons (United 175) 1953