"Oscar recorded with Hawkins for the Signature label. Pettiford's solo on The Man I Love still stands as one of his great ones. Part of its early fame stemmed from the attraction that his clearly audible breathing between phrases had for some people. While this does add to the immediacy of the solo, the musical merit is what keeps it a significant piece of improvisation today. When The Man I Love was reissued on a Brunswick LP, Blues Changes, a previously unreleased track from yet another December Hawkins session, was included in the album. Pettiford's solo here is remarkably like the recorded work by which Blanton is remembered." - Ira Gitler
Eddie Heywood on piano and Shelly Manne on drums.
Winner of the 2025 Jazz Journalist Association Special Citation for Historic Writings, Steven Cerra is the author of anthologies on Gerry Mulligan, Bill Evans, Stan Kenton, Dave Brubeck, Shelly Manne, Jazz West Coast Readers Vols. 1-3, Profiles in Jazz, Vol.1, Jazz Drummers A Reader Vols. 1-2, Jazz Saxophonists A Reader, Vol. 1, 2 & 3, Jazz Piano A Reader, Vols. 1, 2 & 3, Jazz Trumpet A Reader Vols. 1 and 2, A Companion Celebrating The 100th Anniversary of the Jean Goldkette Orchestras, 1926-2026 and a Companion to Jazz Interpretations of Porgy and Bess. His latest publication is A Bill Evans Reader Vol. 2 - THE NOTES; a collection of fully annotated liner, insert and boxed sets notes from Bill’s recordings. He also hosts the jazzprofiles.blogspot and cerra.substack blogs.
