On November 1, 1957, Steve Lacy entered the studio to record his first solo record - the start of a career that’d see him record something like 150 albums as leader and about 400 where he has a playing credit. It wasn’t the longest career - it lasted about 45 years, going right up until his death in 2004 - but it was one that he packed a lot into.
But with all those credits, Lacy remains something of a niche figure. The majority of his records are on smaller, hard-to-find labels: HatHut, Soul Note, Emanem. There’s a fair amount on streaming and most of the highlights are on Bandcamp, but he remains a hard guy to find in record stores. I think I’ve only seen his records in two places: Cleveland, Ohio, and Peterborough, Ontario. I suppose you can buy them online but usually for a pretty penny: I’ve seen them going for over $100. Maybe that’s why despite all his credits, Lacy isn’t the first result when you Google his name - instead you get the 2010’s R&B artist.
With that in mind, I decided to take some time this year to dive into Lacy’s back pages. I have 44 of his releases, ranging from solo free-form live performances, full band sessions, and of course a few albums dedicated to Thelonious Monk’s music. If nothing else, Lacy was something of a restless musician, chasing his muse for over four decades in a career that led him from Dixieland to free jazz. So: let’s dive in.
Soprano Sax opens with Billy Strayhorn’s “Day Dream,” a midtempo gently swinging number. Here I can hear Bechet’s influence: Lacy’s tone is sweet and his solo softly pokes around without getting too outside. Wynton Kelly takes a short solo, too, but overall it’s a so-so performance. From there we go into “Alone Together.” Buell Neidlinger opens the tune with his bass before the rest of the band kicks in. Lacy’s lead is gentle and takes long notes. There’s a few moments where Kelly plays some short phrases, but overall the track feels a bit empty.
“Work” is the first time Lacy put a Monk theme on record. It’s a little more uptempo and one immediately can sense more energy in Lacy’s playing. Same for Kelly, who plays some Monk-esque phrases and does a passable impression (although to be fair - nobody really can match Monk at the piano). Still, it’s a nice change of pace on Soprano Sax and gives the record a needed jolt.
“Rockin in Rhythm” is the second Ellington number here and has Lacy settling back down. He plays in a higher register and the group settles into a nice groove: Dennis Charles rides his cymbals and Kelly does a nice job holding the melody. Lacy’s playing still has some energy although one wishes he’d stretch out a little bit more.
In the liners, Lacy says he chose “Little Girl Your Daddy Is Calling You” as a calipso number for Kelly and Charles to show off on. As such he’s barely there, only appearing at the beginning and end. There’s a nice drum break and Kelly takes a moment to step up for a solo, but again it’s nothing exciting.
The record closes out with its longest number, a reading of Cole Porter’s “Easy to Love.” The band gets to stretch out for about eight minutes and Lacy takes a nice solo but it’s rather restrained. Perhaps that’s the influence of Sonny Rollins, who gets name-checked in the liner notes. Certainly one doesn’t hear Coltrane’s influence, which is a name I tend to associate with Lacy’s more out playing.
At under 35 minutes, Soprano Sax is a pretty sparse record and one that never quite works itself up into a lather. It feels more like someone marking time than someone trying to make their own mark in a crowded jazz scene. Was someone on hand to keep things from getting too wild? Or was Lacy not as full of ideas at this point? Who knows. All I can really point to is Lacy’s own words in the liner notes: “I’ve got a long way to go.” Oh, but he had no idea.