New Oscar Pettiford Sextet

Oscar Pettiford, one of the protean characters in jazz history, was the product of a legendary family band. In 1943, while working with Charlie Barnet he began applying the string bass advances of Jimmy Blanton to the emerging music called bepop. Within a few months he was on 52nd street co-leading a group with Dizzy Gillespie. By the time of this recording, Pettiford had mastered the cello as a jazz instrument. His work on cello set a standard that bassists doubling on the instrument have attempted to reach ever since.