Victor Feldman: Too Blue

Transplanted Londoner Victor Feldman was 23 when he recorded "Too Blue" with 22-year-old Scott LaFaro, the Earl Scruggs of acoustic bass, playing as fast and high as the bluegrass 5-string banjo baron. LaFaro's astounding solo technique is amply showcased, and the underlying tension between his slight rushing of the beat and Levey's impeccable timekeeping keeps things interesting even when LaFaro plays straight rhythm. The leader is somewhat overshadowed by his sideman's busy-ness, but Vic proves as adept with 4-mallet chords as when grooving in a Milt Jackson bag. Small wonder he was soon co-opted by Henry Mancini for Peter Gunn.