William N. Law Blog: Pony Poindexter: Pony's Express

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Pony Poindexter: Pony's Express

A week or so ago I posted on Jay Cameron's International Sax band (1955) and listed more than 20 albums that featured the reed section in a dominant role. A day later, reader Brett Gold sent along an email asking, "How about Pony's Express by Pony Poindexter?" Why, of course. The album by saxophonist Pony Poindexter was recorded in February 1962, between several for Columbia backing Jon Hendricks and Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Recorded for Epic over three recording sessions, the album was the brainchild of producer Teo Macero, who brought in Gene Kee to arrange. What makes this album stand out is the all stars who are playing on the three sessions.

On February 16, the band featured Pony Poindexter (sop,as), Sonny Red (as), Eric Dolphy (as), Clifford Jordan and Jimmy Heath (ts), Pepper Adams (bar), Gildo Mahones (p) Ron Carter (b) and Elvin Jones (d). The songs on this date were "B" Frequency and Lanyop. [Photo above from the recording session; from left, Teo Macero, Phil Woods, Pony Poindexter and Gene Kee]

The second session held on April 18 and featured Pony Poindexter (as,vcl), Phil Woods and Sonny Red (as), Sal Nistico and Clifford Jordan (ts), Pepper Adams (bar), Tommy Flanagan (p), Ron Carter (b) and Charlie Persip (d). The songs recorded were Basin Street Blues, Mickey Mouse Club March, Skylark and Blue. [Photo above, from left, seated, Pepper Adams, Sal Nistico, Clifford Jordan, Sonny Red, Phil Woods and unknown; standing at the mike: Pony Poindexter; conducting: Gene Kee]

The last session, on May 10, featured Phil Woods and Gene Quill (as), Dexter Gordon and Billy Mitchell (ts), Pepper Adams (bar), Gildo Mahones (p), Bill Yancey (b) and Charlie Persip (d). The songs recorded were Catin' Latin, Pony's Express, Artistry in Rhythm, Salt Peanuts, Struttin' With Some Barbecue and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (which wasn't issued on the album).

Note the absence of trumpets and trombones. The saxes carry the entire load. Also note the mix of great talent on each session and how their sounds worked together. Gene Kee is little known today, but he started out in jazz and wound up arranging for Motown on albums by Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and the Pips and many other R&B and soul artists.

As for the writing credits, Poindexter wrote Catin' Latin, Pony's Express and Lanyop; Blue was by Jon Hendricks, "B" Frequency was by Teo Macero. The rest are jazz standards.

Pony Poindexter died in 1988.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Pony Poindexter's Pony's Express here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Pony's Express, with Phil Woods and Gene Quill (as), Dexter Gordon and Billy Mitchell (ts), Pepper Adams (bar), Gildo Mahones (p), Bill Yancey (b) and Charlie Persip (d). There's a nifty solo by Quill and Gordon, who tags Have You Met Miss Jones? and turns it inside out...

Here's Catin' Latin...

Here's Pony Poindexter with Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan in 1963. If you want to hear just This Could Be the Start of Something Big, slide the time bar to 12:40...