Rare And Obscure Argo Recordings (XXX)

 Axel Ivar Rune Öfwerman was born on Christmas Eve in 1933 in a small village outside Stockholm called Vingaker. He started taking piano lessons at the age of six but lost interest after a couple of years. A few years later, he heard some boogie-woogie records and again became interested in the piano. During his college years in Stockholm he organized a band which soon became very popular. After his school years, Rune decided to become a professional musician.

Played with nearly all the modern jazz musicians in Scandinavia amongst them Rolf Ericson (1952), Carl-Henrik Norin (1954), Hacke Bjørksten (1956), Ove Lind (1957) and Lars Gullin. Became co-owner of the Gazell Record Company and supervised most of the sessions held for this label. 

As a pianist, he lists the late Nat "King" Cole and Clarence "Pinetop" Smith among his strongest influences.

Rune Öfwerman

Cool • Piano With Voices

Altough jazz has been appreciated and played in Europe almost as long as it has in America, it continually amazes one to discover another kindred talent from there. In the northern European or Scandinavian section, musicians of superior worth have been on the modern jazz scene almost from the very beginning. Till now, Bengt Hallberg and Rheinhold Svensson have been the outstanding Nordic pianists. With the emergence of Rune Öfwerman, the field now enlarges. 

⁂

All in all, just from listening to these few offerings by Rune Öfwerman, it seems as though American pianists now have a new talent with which to contend. So also do the pop composers, for Rune's bossa novas are very beautiful, and his "Bobsled" and "M-83" are unusual and interesting. Yes, talented and versatile Rune Öfwerman should be highly successful in the music business, for, as the title of this album indicates, he is very "COOL"! *Joe Segal (liner notes)*

A strange one for Argo, and certainly not in keeping with their usual soul jazz roster of recordings — but also a cool moody session recorded in Scandinavia, and which features the icy piano of Rune Öfwerman, backed by a chorus of voices, for a floating dreamy sound that slightly hints at the Singers Unlimited, and other European vocal groups from the 60s. Titles include "Mellow Cool", "Bossa Nova Sueca", "Ortego Bossa Nova", and "M-83".  *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - Whatcha Gonna Do

(Nat "King" Cole)

2 - Amen

(Donald Byrd)

3 - Bobsled

(Rune Öfwerman)

4 - Gospel Walk

(Rune Öfwerman)

5 - Mellow Cool

(Åke Hallgren)

6 - Helen's Theme

(George Riedel)

Side 2

7 - Bossa Nova Sueca

(Rune Öfwerman)

8 - M-83

(Rune Öfwerman)

9 - The Man From Potter's Crossing

(Jimmy Woode)

10 - Ortego Bossa Nova

(Rune Öfwerman)

11 - King's Men

(Rune Öfwerman)

#1 to #6:

Rune Öfwerman (piano), Erik Moseholm (bass), Nils-Bertil Dahlander (drums),

Allan Botschinsky (trumpet #2),  Rolf Billberg (alto sax #2),

unidentified vocal choir directed by Gunnar Lunden-Welden.

Recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark, January 17, 1961

#7, #8, #10:

Rune Öfwerman (piano), Sture Nordin (bass), Egil Johansen (drums),

Rune Gustafsson (guitar #7),  Bjarne Nerem (latin rhythm #7).

Recored in Stockholm, Sweden, November 21, 1961

#9, #11:

Rune Öfwerman (piano), Jimmy Woode (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded at Europa Film AB, Stockholm, Sweden, February 15, 1961

Rare And Obscure Argo Recordings (XXVIII & XXIX)

 Eldee Young & Co. - Just For Kicks

An early solo album cut by Eldee Young, back in the days when he was Ramsey Lewis' bassist, and before he formed the Young-Holt trio. The record's a good example of the strong humor that Eldee would later display in the Young-Holt group, and it's got a great batch of groovy tracks that have a tight soulful sound, with lots of nice tricks and surprises. The group includes Leo Wright, Mal Waldron, Redd Holt, and Richard Evans, who plays bass on some tracks while Eldee picks up the cello. The album's got a great version of Oscar Brown's "Mr. Kicks", plus the tracks "Just For Kicks", "Truly", "Big Brother", and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", done in a very groovy way! *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Red Holt - Look Out!! Look Out!!

Red Holt led this album for Arco in December 1961. It's essentially the Ramsey Lewis Trio (Lewis on piano, Eldee Young on bass and Holt on drums) with a guitarist named Roland Faulkner backing Floyd Marvin on trombone and Wallace Burton on alto sax.

The music is straight ahead jazz with 1960s pop interwoven — a format that Ramsey Lewis perfected — with an easy swing that is more like the West Coast variant of jazz that was popular during that era than the Chicago flavored music that this really is.

Most of the tracks are typical standards, but the inclusion of "Ghost Riders" is interesting. That was a popular song with country and western connotations that had been covered by a number of groups and vocalists. It seems to have been inserted into the mix for popular appeal. Another interesting track is "Sanctified Indian" that sounds suspiciously like Wilbur de Paris' 1958 recording titled "In A Persian Market" (it's a 1920 composition by Albert William Ketelbey).

Overall this is a foot tapping album that is easy to listen to without having to concentrate on the music to enjoy. In that respect it is atypical of most jazz, but it still swings and does not cross over into gratuitous pop. Kudos to the producer for that. *Mike Tarrani*

Eldee Young & Co. - Just For Kicks

And

Red Holt - Look Out!! Look Out!!

Bassist Eldee Young and drummer Issac Red Holt were founding members of the hugely successful Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1956, and made their first sessions as leaders with the two fine albums included here.

Recorded in Chicago in December 1961, they feature two warmly delivered sets of originals and standards. As he shows in Just for Kicks, Young was a competent bassist, direct and forceful, with a pleasing flair for lighthearted drama. This dates prime musical asset is, perhaps, altoist and flutist Leo Wright, who plays well throughout, and stunningly (on alto) on "Cry Me a River". Young also plays soul cello on several numbers, providing moments of real beauty as flute and cello blend. Under the blunderbuss performances of Young and Wright, pianist Mal Waldron keeps much of his work simple and basic, always to the point.

On Holts Look Out!! Look Out!! the Ramsey Lewis trio is intact, augmented by the almost barrel-house trombonist Floyd Marvin on "Ghost Riders", and by altoist Wallace Burton and guitarist Roland Faulkner on the rest of the album, excluding both drum-and-bass Look Out tunes. Burton shows flawless intonation and instinctively good phrasing, while Faulkner is strongly blues-rooted on a session swung hard by the rhythm section, with Ramsey Lewis adding his solo strength consistently to the mix. *Jordi Pujol*

1 - When Johnny Comes Marching Home

(Patrick Gilmore)

2 - Goodbye

(Gordon Jenkins)

3 - Crazy She Calls Me

(Russell, Sigman)

4 - Big Brother

(Eldee Young)

5 - Cry Me A River

(Arthur Hamilton)

6 - Truly

(Eldee Young)

7 - Mr. Kicks

(Oscar Brown, Jr.)

8 - Motherless Child

(Trad. Arr. Eldee Young)

9 - Just For Kicks

(Eldee Young)

10 - John Henry

(Trad. Arr. Eldee Young)

11 - Look Out No. 3

(Red Holt)

12 - Little Liza Jane

(Trad. arr.: Redd Holt)

13 - My Favorite Things

(Rodgers, Hammerstein II)

14 - Red Sails In the Sunset

(Kennedy, Williams)

15 - Drum Drunk

(Red Holt)

16 - Soul Mist

(Holt, Lewis, Young)

17 - Ghost Riders

(Edward J. Kay)

18 - Stella by Starlight

(Young, Washington)

19 - Sanctified Indian

(Red Holt)

20 - I Cover the Waterfront

(Green, Heyman)

21 - Tonight

(Leonard Bernstein)

22 - Look Out No. 1

(Red Holt)

#1 to #10: from the album Just For Kicks (Argo LPS 699)

Leo Wright (alto sax, flute), Mal Waldron (piano), 

Eldee Young (bass [#1 to #5], cello [#6 to #10], vocals [#7]),

Richard Evans (bass [#6 to #10]), Issac "Red" Holt (drums).

Recorded at Ter-Mar Recording Studio, Chicago, Illinois, December 28, 1961

#11 to #22: from the album Look Out!! Look Out!! (Argo LPS 696)

Floyd Marvin (trombone), Wallace Burton (alto sax), Ramsey Lewis (piano),

Roland Faulkner (guitar), Eldee Young (bass), Issac "Red" Holt (drums).

Recorded at Ter-Mar Recording Studio, Chicago, Illinois, December, 1961

Rare And Obscure Argo Recordings (XXVI & XXVII)

 Barry Harris - Breakin' It Up

A hard to find early album by the great Detroit pianist Barry Harris! Barry's playing here in a trio with William Austin on bass and Frank Gant on drums, and the tracks have a definite boppish quality to them — more straight ahead than some of the flowing lines he brought to later work in the 70s and 80s — but still uniquely soulful, with a really strong sound for such a young player. Titles include bop standards like "Ornithology", "Passport", and "Allen's Alley" — plus Harris originals like "SRO" and "Bluesy" — and the album's got a nice, tight, soul jazz feel overall!

*Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Sonny Stitt - Burnin'

A great lost gem from Sonny Stitt — one of his most obscure sides for Argo, recorded with a no-nonsense quartet that included Barry Harris on piano, William Austin on bass, and Frank Gant on drums — all on the day after the trio worked together on Harris' Breakin It Up session for the label! There's a soulful quality to the rhythm section that takes Stitt way past bop — a relaxed groove from Harris that flows nicely into that confident, exploratory territory that we love so much on Stitt's Verve and Roost albums from the time. Sonny blows strongly on both alto and tenor sax — and titles include "It's Hipper Than That", "I'll Tell You Later", "Lover Man", and "A Minor Sax".

*Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Barry Harris Trio

Breakin' It Up

Barry Harris' debut Argo session captures a uniquely soulful interpretation of bop sensibilities. Light yet commanding, Breakin' It Up moves from strength to strength, belying the pianist's relative youth and inexperience. Paired with bassist William Austin and drummer Frank Gant, Harris dispenses with frills, paring familiar melodies like "Ornithology" and "All the Things You Are" to their absolute essentials. The overall approach is far more straight-ahead than his subsequent efforts, yet his signature melodic ingenuity is firmly in place. Breakin' It Up was reissued on CD by Jazz Beat in a two-fer alongside Burnin', recorded a day later under the leadership of saxophonist Sonny Stitt. *Jason Ankeny*

The current CD contains the two subsequent entries from Barry Harris' discography: the pianist's debut LP as a leader Breakin' It Up, and the album Burnin' featuring the same trio (Harris, Austin and Gant) backing Sonny Stitt in Chicago on August 1, 1958, the day after Breakin' It Up sesión! Burnin' marks the first recorded collaboration between Harris and Stitt.

The music throughout both recordings is impeccable, and their approximation in feeling, personnel, date, location and recording technique, give them a consistency that makes them sound more like one single studio sesión, than two separate dates.

Barry Harris has taught performed with many of the idiom's most celebrated musicians and has recorded some truly exquisite recordings, of wich these two albums are perfect examples.

*(from liner notes)*

1 - All The Things You Are

(Kern, Hammerstein)

2 - Ornithology

(C. Parker)

3 - Bluesy

(B. Harris)

4 - Passport

(C. Parker)

5 - Allen's Alley

(D. Best)

6 - Embraceable You

(G. and I. Gewrshwin)

7 - SRO

(B. Harris)

8 - Stranger In Paradise

(Wright, Forrest)

9 - Lover Man

(Davis, Sherman, Ramirez)

10 - Ko-Ko

(C. Parker)

11 - How High The Moon?

(Lewis, Hamilton)

12 - Easy Living

(Robin, Rainger)

13 - It's Hipper Than That

(S. Stitt)

14 - A Minor Sax

(S. Stitt)

15 - Reed And A Half

(S. Stitt)

16 - I'll Tell You Later

(S. Stitt)

17 - Look For The Silver Lining

(Kern, DeSylva)

#1 to #8: from the album Breakin' It Up (Argo LP 644)

Barry Harris (piano), Billy Austin (bass), Frank Gant (drums).

Recorded in Chicago, July 31, 1958

#9 to #17: from the album Burnin' (Argo LP 661)

Sonny Stitt (alto sax, tenor sax), Barry Harris (piano), Billy Austin (bass), Frank Gant (drums).

Recorded in Chicago, August 1, 1958

Sam Most... ★1957★

Sam Most Orchestra And Sextet

Sam Most Plays Bird, Bud, Monk And Miles

It's a fairly safe guess that in years to come the names of Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Theolonius Monk and Miles Davis will induce a reverential ring for that generation just as Emmett Hardy, Buddy Bolden and Joe "King" Oliver do in ours. The twin advantages that our latter-day saints have on their predecessors are the improvements in recording techniques and the interest of men like Sam Most in perpetuating their memory.

It may seem strange to speak of glorification of men who, with one exception, are still an integral part of the creative music mold. The fact is, however, that we are some 17 years into the neo-Minton's era which, relatively speaking, calls for a second look at some of its extraordinary contributors.

In the slightly more than two years since his death, the name and accomplishments of Charlie "Bird" Parker have become almost Bunyanesque. Not only his revolutionary alto playing, which has become an indisputable standard for today's neophytes, but his brilliantly conceived riffs and melodies which are guaranteed immortality. "Bird" had "a way with a tune" that continues to astound the most seasoned jazz fan.

To greater or lesser extents, this same is true of Bud Powell and Theolonius Monk who have thoroughly altered the concept of jazz piano; and of Miles Davis whose style of introverted trumpeting has been sheer delight for more than a decade. As a by-product of their collective talents, these men have fashioned some of the most refreshingly original jazz lines ever heard.

As a musician, Sam Most is ever alert to the need of broadening the vistas of jazz. Hitting. upon the format of this LP, he resolved to present two compositions by each man in totally different settings. Half the LP is given to a big band with many soloists; the rest is a small, intimate group which so readily lends itself to the spontaneity of jazz.

Selecting an arranger for the big band sides was of paramount importance in the preparation of this LP. Most felt that the sextet items would run off by themselves with Little difficulty, but the 16-piece aggregation needed the skill of a man who fully understood the nature of the compositions and the musicians engaged to perform them. 

Thus Bob Dorough was selected, not alone to pen the charts, but to act as pianist/conductor for the sessions. In this capacity, he literally ran the show, and the vitality of these sides is the direct result of his sound musicianship.

⁂

In retrospect, this disc offers a permanency beyond the musical gems captured thereon. With the assistance of other musical minds and talents, Sam Most has completed a dedicatory volumen which chronicles for posterity some of the major jazz contributions of our era. Your approbation is the final chapter. *Joe Quinn (liner notes)*

Sam Most in two wonderful settings — a large group on half the record, then a smaller combo with David Schildkraut on tenor, Bob Dorough on piano, and Tommy Potter on bass! Sam plays clarinet throughout, but uses some of the phrasing he'd be more likely to employ with a saxophone — a practice that makes the album a great showcase for Most's really unique talents on his instrument. And although the title might make you think the whole thing's a bop rehash record, the arrangements are pretty darn inventive — and really help bring new life into tunes that include "Serpent's Tooth", "Celia", "Bluebird", "Strictly Confidential", and "In Walked Bud" — especially from Sam's solos, and the trumpet work of Doug Mettome. *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Strictly Confidential

(Bud Powell)

2 - Half Nelson

(Miles Davis)

3 - 'Round Midnight

(Hanighen, Monk, Williams)

4 - In Walked Bud

(Thelonious Monk)

5 - Serpent's Tooth

(Miles Davis)

6 - Celia

(Bud Powell)

7 - Confirmation

(Charlie Parker)

8 - Bluebird

(Charlie Parker)

Sam Most Orchestra: (#1, #3 , #5, #8):

Chuck Harmon, Ed Reider, Doug Mettome, Al Stewart, Don Stratton (trumpets); 

Jim Dahl, Bill Elton, Frank Rehak (trombones); Sam Most (clarinet);

Dick Meldonian, Dave Schildkraut (alto saxes); Ed Wasserman (tenor sax);

Marty Flax (baritone sax); Bob Dorough (piano); Oscar Pettiford (bass); Paul Motian (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 6, 1957

Sam Most Sextet (#2, #4, #6, #7):

Doug Mettome (trumpet), Sam Most (clarinet), Dave Schildkraut (alto sax),

Bob Dorough (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), Paul Motian (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 7, 1957

Sam Most... ★1956★

Sam Most Quartet

Musically Yours

A reputation as a jazz instrumentalist represents the cumulativa efforts of years of intense study and trainning, and the diligent application of time and talent toward perfection. Most musicians have a  working knowledge of the other horn, but for success as soloists they usually concentrate on the mechanics of one instrument best suited to the interpretations of their creative thoughts.

This rule-of-thumb doesn't apply to Sam most. This multi-talented young man has a flair for anything musical, and because he has proven himself equally at home on flute or clarinet it necessitated dividing this LP between the two instrume.nts to display Sam's talent appropriately. Admittedly, his flute improvisation is an outgrowth of his clarinet skill, but he has demonstrated such facility with this newly found jazz voice that he must be ranked among the handful of reed men who are its exponents.

⁂

If your taste in reedy jazz runs to flute and/or clarinet, you have what the doctor ordered right in your hands. The inventive mind of Sam Most, in company with Bob Dorough, Bill Crow and Joe Morello, has produced a rewarding session that is your to enjoy so long as records and turntables still exist.

*Joe Quinn (liner notes)

One of the loosest, most relaxed albums ever from flute man Sam Most — cut with a cool quartet that also features Bob Dorough on piano, Bill Crow on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! The inventive touches of all the rhythm players are really felt strongly — creating these modern moments that really have Sam stretching out on his instrument, and moving it way past any cliches of a few years before. Most handles flute on almost all the tracks, but also throws in some great clarinet as well — with archly-crafted solos that really swing, but with kind of an arch modernist tone — in the manner of some of Jimmy Giuffre's best rhythm-bound work of the 50s. Titles include "Obvious Conclusion", "Stella By Starlight", "Two For Three", and "House Of Bread Blues".

 *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Stella By Starlight

(Young, Washington)

2 - Hush-A-Bye

(Seelen, Fain)

3 - Obvious Conclusion

(Most)

4 - Autumn Leaves

(Kosma, Mercer)

5 - If I Had You

(Shapiro, Connelly)

6 - Body And Soul

(Green, Heyman, Sour, Eyton)

7 - House Of Bread Blues

(Most)

8 - Two For Three

(Most)

Sam Most (flute, clarinet), Bob Dorough (piano), Bill Crow (bass), Joe Morello (drums).

Recorded in New York City, July, 1956

Sam Most... ★1955★

Sam Most

I'm Nuts About The Most.... Sam That Is!

East Coast Jazz N°9

Here is a modern group with its own sound playing familiar standards. Sam Most had a definitive purpose in mind when he decided upon the clarinet or flute, guitar, baritone sax, and rhythm combination. The result of this wedding is a fresh, sometimes fragile, yet cohesive sound that is modern without being, in the contemporary sense, "far out". It's an easy-to-listen-to sound that could not be offensive even if it were the neophyte's first contact with modern jazz.

*Creed Taylor (liner notes)*

⁂

Just sit back, relax and listen to the inventiveness of each soloist, whose appearance on each piece is varied. We think you will hear jazz improvisation at it best! I would like to express my gratitude to all the musicians who helped make this album for their exellent cooperation and sensitive work. Each one, I'm sure, is well know to every ardent modern jazz admirer. *Sam Most (liner notes)*

Sweet flute work from the great Sam Most — a player who really shone brightly during his 50s recordings for Bethlehem Records — of which this is one of the best! Sam's got a mean, lean quality to his solos — a mode that rivals that of Frank Wess on the instrument at the time, and may well beat Herbie Mann — able to step lively on more boppish numbers, but step back into these soulful lines at just the right moments. The rest of the group has a tight feel too — modern, but a bit playful too — with Marty Flax on baritone, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Billy Triglia on piano, and Oscar Pettiford on bass. Titles include "Deed I Do", "Broadway", "Smiles", "Don't Worry Bout Me", "How Deep Is The Ocean", and "Tea For Two".  *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Cherokee

(Noble)

2 - Don't Worry 'Bout Me

(Koehler, Bloom)

3 - What A Difference A Day Made

(Grever, Adams)

4 - How Deep Is The Ocean

(Berlin)

5 - Falling In Love With Love

(Rodgers, Hart)

6 - Rose Room

(Williams, Hickman)

7 - Smiles

(Chaplin, Turner, Parsons)

8 - Broadway

(Woode, McRae, Bird)

9 - Tea For Two

(Caesar, Youmans)

10 - 'Deed I Do

(Hirsch, Rose)

Sam Most (flute, clarinet); Marty Flax (baritone sax); 

Barry Galbraith (guitar); Billy Triglia (piano);

Burgher Jones [#1 to #4,  #8], Oscar Pettiford [#5 to #7, #9, #10] (basses);

Bobby Donaldson [#1 to #4,  #8], Osie Johnson [#5 to #7, #9, #10] (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 29 (#1 to #4,  #8),

and between March/April (#5 to #7, #9, #10), 1955

Sam Most... ★1952 • 1954★

 Sam Most (1930-2003) was born in Atlantic City, NJ, and began making a name for himself in nearby New York City, where his family moved when he was four years old. Sam played several instruments, including piano, saxophone, clarinet, and flute. It was with the last two that he earned a reputation as a trendsetter among modern jazz musicians, and it is these two instruments that are featured here.

Sam's earliest influence and inspiration came from his brother Abe, ten years his senior, who was the star clarinetist in the bands of Les Brown and Tommy Dorsey. At 20, Sam briefly played also with Dorsey, and later with the bands of Shep Fields, Boyd Raeburn, and Don Redman. However, his main claim to fame was the stellar work he did with his own modern groups, where his distinctive clarinet style (notably focusing on the instrument's higher register) and his remarkable agility on the flute blended so superbly.

In the summer of 1952, Sam truly came into his own when he recorded the flute feature "Undercurrent Blues". At the time, jazz flute was little more than a novelty, rarely featured in recordings or performances in the modern bebop style. "Undercurrent Blues" showcased the instrument's potential in a fresh way and, while not a major hit, it caught the attention of many musicians, establishing Sam as the first modern jazz flutist.

Herbie Mann, the first jazz flutist to achieve widespread popularity, once said, "When I started playing jazz on flute, there was only one record out: Sam Most's Undercurrent Blues".

Sam's emergence on the jazz scene was further recognized in 1954 when he won the New Star clarinet division in the Down Beat Critics' Poll.

This CD set brings together, for the first time, Sam Most's earliest recordings as the leader of his sextets from 1952 to 1954. *Jordi Pujol*

Sam Most Sextettes 

Undercurrent Blues

Prestige, Debut And Vanguard Sessions

When LA was truly "La La Land"

Jazz musicians had it nice in LA in the 1950s and 60s, making good money playing in the studios for movies and TV shows and then hitting the clubs at night for hip gigs. And they could all afford to buy a house in the suburbs! What could go wrong?!?

Here is a Fresh Sound Records reissue that prove jazzers didn't have to suffer to be creative.

Playing flute and clarinet, Sam Most made a nice career as a studio stud, still finding time to put out an impressive number of his own albums. These sessions from 1952-54 (ironically recorded in NYC) start with Most with Doug Mttone/tp, Chuck Wayne/g, Dick Hyman/p, Clyde Lombardi/b and Jackie Moffett/dr with the leader's flute sublime on "Undercurrent Blues" and his clarinet bouncy on "Taking A Chance On Love". A larger band brings in Urbie Green/tb, Bob Dorough/p, Percy Heath/b, Mettome/tp and L ouie Bellson/dr for a classy take of "Scroobydoo" and classical "I Hear A Rhapsody". The band further expand with some charts by Quincy Jones on a hip "Skippy" and suave "Open House" with Jones' own "Blues Junction" a nice showcase for Most's licorice stick. Woodwind wonders.

When it was hep to be hip! *George W. Harris*

1 - Undercurrent Blues

(Sam Most)

2 - First With The Most

(Sam Most)

3 - Sometimes I’m Happy

(Youmans, Caesar, Grey)

4 - Takin' A Chance On Love

(V.Duke, J. La Touche)

5 - Scrooby Doo

(Bob Dorough)

6 - I Hear A Rhapsody

(Fragos, Baker, Gasparre)

7 - The Night, We Called It A Day

(M. Dennis, T. Adair)

8 - A Cuss Called Coss

(Sam Most)

9 - Eullalia

(Bob Dorough)

10 - There Will Never Be Another You

(Carl O. Begner)

11 - Notes To You

(Sam Most)

12 - Skippy

(Ronnie Woellmer)

13 - Blues Junction

(Quincy Jones)

14 - Just Tutshen

(Sam Most)

15 - My OId Flame

(Johnson, Coslow)

16 - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

(Cole Porter)

17 - Open House

(Ronnie Woellmer)

18 - Give Me The Simply Live

(R. Bloom, H. Ruby)

19 - Everything Happens To Me

(M. Dennis, T. Adair)

#1 to #4: from the album Introducing a New Star: Sam Most (Prestige EP-1322)

Doug Mettome (trumpet), Sam Most (flute, clarinet), Chuck Wayne (guitar),

Dick Hyman (piano), Clyde Lombardi (bass), Jackie Moffett (drums).

Recorded in New York City, June 10, 1952

#5 to #10: from the album Sam Most Quartet Plus Two (Debut DLP-11)

#11: from album Hall of Fame (Design DLP 29)

Doug Mettome (trumpet), Urbie Green (trombone), Sam Most (flute, clarinet), 

Bob Dorough (piano), Percy Heath (bass), Louie Bellson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, December 29, 1953

#12 to #19: from the album Sam Most Sextet (Vanguard VRS-8014)

Sam Most (flute, clarinet), Marty Flax(baritone sax), Bill Triglia (piano), 

Barry Galbraith (guitar), Aaron Bell (bass), Bobby Donaldson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, December 3, 1954

Buddy Collette And His Trio

Buddy Collette

Calm, Cool & Collette

I left Chico Hamilton to form my own group. I have a quartet that’s been together for 3 months. The group started at the Haig in Los Angeles, the birthplace of many small bands. We had Don Freedman, piano, and Larry Bunker, drums; John Goodman, bass. Now we have Dick Shreve on piano and Bill Dolney, drums. John Goodman is still on Bass. The group is just great. We enjoy rehearsing and working out ideas together.

Dick Shreve is a wonderful writer and a great player. Although he’s not too well known, you’ll be hearing many outstanding things now and in the future from this great young pianist.

John Goodman. John Improves every time you hear him. His ideas are just great. He hasn’t been writing very long, but he seems to know what to write and he has a wonderful sense of time and rhythm pattern.

Bill Dolney. A real good drummer with good tastes, good time. He listens and blends with the group very well. He loves fast tempos.

I think of the quartet as one section. When I play Flute, I think of some Chamber Group or Woodwind Group. With tenor or alto, I still try to blend my rhythm section as though they were other horns. In this way we get a lot of variety for a quartet. We enjoyed making this album for ABC-Paramount very much because of the freedom we had. *Buddy Collette (liner notes)*

Quite possibly the rarest session ever cut by Buddy Collette — a quartet session with an unusual group that includes Dick Shreve on piano, John Goodman on bass, and Bill Dolney on drums — all players that get past the usual west coast crew that Buddy mostly recorded with! The format here builds on Colette's work with the Chico Hamilton group — and features a number of sprightly tracks with flute in the lead, and Hamilton-like support from the rest of the group. But then there's other numbers that have Buddy more out front on alto sax — blowing with a nice raspy edge and a bit more of a bop feel that's mighty nice. *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Collette's three originals in this LP are bright, swingy things. And his prowess as a soloist overshadows even his writing.

There is a gentleness and strength, in almost ideal combination, in Collette's tenor playing in which he seems to have evolved a style that does not lean too heavily on any of his precursors.

I continue to find his tenor solos his most interesting work. Although he has consistently recorded excellent clarinet solos, they do not seem to carry through the promise of their early days in Chico Hamilton's group.

He plays clarinet like a stronger Jimmy Giuffre, but this is not enough, for me at any rate. On alto there are moments when he is really eloquent; such a one is his solo on "Johnny Walks" in which he seems to me expressive beyond the ordinary as he logically develops a beautiful line.

The group as a whole is excellent. The rhythm section functions very well as individuals and as a unit. Shreve is a fine pianist in a gentle, reflective manner, and his own composition, "If She Had Stayed", is a particularly impressive jazz ballad which Collette plays with warmth and great feeling.

As has been the case with almost every album on which he plays, Collette is the main attraction. Even on flute, an instrument which has definite jazz limitations, he manages to get through with his message of beauty, taste, love and strength.

I continue to be impressed with the high degree of soul, or emotion, displayed in his solos. At a time when there is a definite danger of jazz degenerating into jungle music, Collette is a valuable antidote. * Ralph J. Gleason (Down Beat, May 30, 1957)*

Side 1

1 - Winston Walks

(John Goodman)

2 - If She Had Stayed

(Dick Shreve)

3 - They Can't Take That Away From You

(George and Ira Gershwin)

4 - Undecided

(Charlie Shavers, Sid Robin)

5. Flute In "D"

(Buddy Collette)

6 - The Continental

(Con Conrad, Herb Magidson)

Side 2

7 - Three And One

(Buddy Collette)

8 - Night In Tunisia

(Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli)

9 - Johnny Walks

(Buddy Collette)

10 - Perfidia

(Alberto Domínguez)

11 - Morning Jazz

(Dick Shreve)

Buddy Collette (tenor sax, alto sax, flute, clarinet), Dick Shreve (piano),

John Goodman (bass), Bill Dolney (drums).

Recorded at ABC Studios, Los Angeles, California, January 24, 1957

Lennie Niehaus Octet

Lenny Niehaus

I Swing For You

The jazz spotlight has gleamed brightly at one time or another on big bands, small groups and soloists of varied creative scope and authenticity. But, rather unaccountably, very little attention has been paid to what should be one of the most flexible and rewarding types of jazz ensemble — the middling-sized group which can work with the easy intimacy of a small combo when it wants to or juice itself up to big band proportions when that seems desirable. John Kirby's sextet had some suggestion of this quality in the 1930s although with only six men (and just one brass instrument in the lot) a valid big band sound was out of its reach. Count Basie came closer with the brilliant octet he led in the early Fifties, a group that could trip along as lightly as a greased marble or come charging in like an overstimulated troop of marines.

The neglect that this area has suffered can only be attributed to blindness, to a rather appalling lack of aware imagination for, as Lennie Niehaus clearly shows in this  album, there are an abundance of fascinating possibilities open to a flexibly two-faced middle-sized band. 

⁂

The Niehaus alto that is heard in this album may come as a surprise to those who recall the strongly Parker-touched tone of his playing on earlier disks. That has all been assimilated now and he is stretching out in more direct, less involved lines that bristle with basic jazz qualities. It is a significant step in his development as a strongly individual jazz voice. There is significance, too, in the kind of arranging he offers here for this, says Lennie, is the side of his talent on which he intends to concentrate in the immediate future. If he has his way, he'll stay put in Hollywood, spending most of his time writing, possibly playing weekends as he does now with Kenton, but not getting involved in taking out a group of his own. For the time being at least, what you hear on this record is the closest thing there will be to a Niehaus band. *(from liner notes)*

Lennie swings, but he keeps it cool too — as this rare Mercury set steps off of the same octet energy Niehaus brought to his better-known sides for Contemporary in the mid 50s! The players here are a bit lesser known than some of Niehaus' other all-star groups — with Ken Shroyer on trombone, Ed Leddy on trumpet, and Steve Perlow on baritone — alongside some nicely searing tenor from Bill Perkins, whose presence always makes a set like this sparkle! Lou Levy plays piano and Red Kelly is on bass — and titles include "Soon", "Little Girl Blues", "P & L", "Four Eleven West", "He Ain't Got Rhythm", "Kiss Me & Kill Me With Love", and "I See Your Face Before Me". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

A very swingy West-Coast middle band session, all participants from the Stan Kenton band.

Lennie Niehaus, another great player from the Kenton band, is very famous of his superior arrangements as well as very swingy improvised alto play. Although his Contemporary LPs are much famous as his leader sessions, this EmArcy session also sounds nice. Thrilling arrangements as well as nice improvisation by Kenton pals are all great. *microgroove.jp*

Side 1

1 - P & L

(Lennie Niehaus)

2 - I See Your Face Before Me

(Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz)

3 - Four Eleven West

(Benny Golson)

4 - Soon

(George and Ira Gershwin)

Side 2

5 - He Ain't Got Rhythm

(Irving Berlin)

6 - Kiss Me And Kill Me With Love

(Shapiro, Fain)

7 - Little Girl Blues

(Bill Perkins)

8 - Don't You Know I Care (Or Don't You Care To Know)

(Duke Ellington, Mack David)

Lennie Niehaus (alto sax), Ed Leddy (trumpet), Ken Shroyer (trombone, bass trumpet),

Bill Perkins (flute, tenor sax), Steve Perlow (baritone sax),

Lou Levy (piano), Red Kelly (bass), Jerry McKenzie (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, October 1, 1957

John Plonsky Quintet

John Plonsky Quintet

Cool Man Cool

John Plonsky was a journeyman trumpet player, composer and arranger from the West Coast who had recorded with Ray Bauduc and Nappy Lamare in the '40s, starting out in traditional and swing styles. He later switched to a more bop-oriented approach after coming to the East Coast with Alvy West's Little Band. This recording was only his third time in the studio during his career, and it was his first time as a leader. It would be his last. What happened to John Plonsky after this is unknown, at least to me.

There are several aspects to this record that make it stand out. The first is purely cosmetic: its decidedly unhip cover. An apotheosis of bad concept, design and execution, the album front has the band, looking tentative and uncomfortable, superimposed over a snowy background. These guys are cool, get it? Golden Crest, the album's label, is the outfit that produced all those bright red and yellow children's records that I remember from my youth. Clearly jazz was a stretch for them, despite the fact that they issued a number of good jazz LPs. Cool Man Cool made me laugh, and I laid out four bits for it at my radio station's music sale a few years ago.

The second standout feature of Cool Man Cool is the band's instrumentation. With an electric accordion and a baritone saxophone backing up the trumpet's lead, you'd think the sound would be quite annoying. But no – it is remarkably coherent and nuanced. Plonsky talks about how accordionist Dominic Cortese muffles his instrument to "eliminate the reedy sound". He does and the result is very interesting.

One additional note: Dizzy Gillespie recorded as a sideman for a vocalist back in the mid'-40s and, because he was under contract to Victor, used a pseudonym on the label. The name he chose? "John Plonsky". *David Dann*

This quintet under the direction of composer-arranger-trumpeter John Plonsky (born in 1926) offers an interesting listening experience in the smooth jazz style of Dave Pell butwith a twist, its unusual instrumentation composed of baritone, amplified accordion and trumpet with bass and drums. Recorded in 1957, Cool Man Cool was his only album as a leader, and it revealed Plonsky as a talented and imaginative soloist with a warmand open tone, who also managed to carry out extremely laborious ensemble work. All players are excellent in harmony, and the use of amplified accordion provides an orchestral texture to support the trumpet and baritone saxophone, adding much appreciated depth to the overall sound. Plonsky's five tastefully conceived originals plus the six fresh, well-arranged standards — two of theman excellent frame to showcase the talent and the vocal facets of singer Betty Ann Blake — do much to enhance the album's appeal. *Jordi Pujol*

Side 1

1 - Laurel And Hardy

(J. Plonsky)

2 - The Lady Is A Tramp

(R. Rodgers)

3 - But Not For Me

(G. Geershwin)

4 - Putting On The Ritz

(I. Berrlin)

5 - Just In Time

(J. Styne, B. Comden, A. Green)

Side 2

6 - Calico Shoes

(J. Plonsky)

7 - Angel Hair

(J. Plonsky)

8 - How About You?

(B. Lane, R. Freed)

9 - Funkier Than Thou

(J. Plonsky)

10 - I'll Take Romance

(Oakland)

11 - Blonde Caboose

(J. Plonsky)

John Plonsky (trumpet), Carl Janelli (baritone sax), Dominic Cortese (accordion),

Chet Amsterdam (bass), Mel Zelnick (drums), Betty Ann Blake (vocals [#3, #8]).

Recorded in New York City, March 5, 1957