Five-Star Collection... Lester Young

Lester Young

The Jazz Giants '56

Imitation, as a wise man once put it, is never competition. Accordingly, imitation with neither understanding nor technique can bring woeful results to the young musician. To put the theory to test, no other saxophonist has had quite so strong an influence on modern-day tenor saxophonists than Lester Young, otherwise known as the "President". For many saxophonists, however, the influence has not necessarily been a good one, simply because the limitations have been merely surface.

To play a saxophone in the Lester Young manner requires — well, it requires a Lester Young, which is to say an artist with his roots immersed deeply in the mainstream of jazz. Or that failing, a musician with at least a feeling for jazz' muscular, swinging tradition. An error committed so frequently as to become commonplace finds the imitator concerned more with sound than substance.

The Lester Young sound is a very special thing, certainly, and with it is associated a kind of languor, a sophistication that often belies its basic blues foundation. But the guts of the blues — and its purposeful vigor — is also a vital part of the Young style. And without it, without this strength that is suggested rather than expressed boldly, the would-be Lester Youngs create little more than hollow, superficial and often quite banal mimicry.

The imitators could learn considerable from this album, entitled with justification The Jazz Giants '56. For in this one, Lester illustrates more graphically than ever just where the "Lester Young school" has been errant. By no means is this, as they say in the television commercials, a "new" Lester Young, but it is a Lester Young with a stronger approach than has been his very recent custom. The tone remains, lean and cool (in the best sense), but the vigor is unmistakable and the jazz ideas are, as always, fresh and imaginative. *(from the liner notes)*

The Jazz Giants '56 comprise Lester Young, Roy Eldridge, Teddy Wilson, Vic Dickenson, Jo Jones, Freddie Green, and Gene Ramey, and a better-knit assemblage would indeed be hard to conceive. As the notes point out, this is the first time Pres and Roy have recorded together, and for some 20 years, someone has been goofing.

This is one of the records of this or any other year, and it is difficult to imagine a group playing much better than this one gets on You Can Depend on Me. All the good qualities which we usually ascribe to jazz — vitality, swing, ingenuity, rhythmic variety, and impeccable improvisation — are present here. Rest of the tracks are not far below this remarkable level, and it is really unfair to pout out high spots, although the unvarying consistency of Roy and Pres should be mentioned. Especially note Young's opening statement on This Year's Kisses — it contains all the loveliness and feeling for music one could wish. Suffice it to say that this collection belong in any and every library.

The notes err, by the way in stating that Pres and Dickenson never have recorded together before — they appeared on some Philo sides under Pres' leadership a decade ago.

*Jack Tracy (Down Beat, May 30, 1956 [5 stars])*

1 - I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan

(Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz)

2 - I Didn't Know What Time It Was

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

3 - Gigantic Blues

(Lester Young)

4 - This Year's Kisses

(Irving Berlin)

5 - You Can Depend On Me

(Charles Carpenter, Louis Dunlap, Earl Hines)

Lester Young (tenor sax), Roy Eldridge (trumpet), Vic Dickenson (trombone),

Teddy Wilson (piano), Freddie Green (guitar), Gene Ramey (bass), Jo Jones (drums).

Recorded at Fine Sound, New York City, January 12, 1956

Five-Star Collection... Herbie Mann

Herbie Mann Quartet

Flamingo, volume 2

We have been a quartet for three months. Joe Puma, our guitarist, has worked and recorded with Artie Shaw, Louis Bellson, Don Elliott and Chris Connor, and has his own  album on Bethlehem (BCP-1012). He is 28 and from the Bronx. Our bassist is the 26 year-old Chuck Andrus from Holyoke, Massachusetts. He has worked with Terry Gibbs,  Stan Getz and Claude Thornhill and recorded with Johnny Williams. Chuck is studying bass with Philip Sklar of the NBC Symphony. Harold Granowsky, our drummer, is 24  years old and hails from Indianapolis, Indiana. He has worked with Lennie Tristano, Joe Roland and Charlie Barnet.

We started planning this album two months ago, carefully selecting each tune and then treating each one individually, utilizing the various colorings and shadings the group could produce.

I’ve had the idea for quite a while to get sort of a "Four  Brothers-type" sound with three flutes and alto flute, instead of three tenors and baritone sax. Joe (Puma) arranged "I've Told Ev'ry Little Star" on which I played all four flute parts (sounds like the Four Brothers before their voices changed!). *Herbie Mann (liner notes)*

One of the best of the jazz flutists, Herbie Mann, has here produced the most varied jazz flute album to date. His close, tasty support comes from bassist Chuck Andrus, guitarist Joe Puma, and drummer Harold Granowsky. Herbie wrote the first three originals; Quincy Jones did the blues waltz, Jasmin; Mann is responsible for Beverly, and the last tune is Puma's. On all except the tenor tribute to Cohn, Herbie plays flute and alto flute, and on two numbers, he plays four flute parts via tape. On Beverly, he’s heard on flute unaccompanied.

What makes this session outstanding is Mann's lyrical musicianship and his assuredness with the flute, a difficult instrument to swing and to otherwise manipulate in the jazz idiom. There is also Mann's unusually wide-ranged personality which makes him equally convincing in happy whimsy, sorrowful ballads, hopeful ballads, swingers, the Villa-Lobos-inspired Sorimao, and even a blues waltz. He also writes well, as particularly evidenced by Sorimao, One Way Love, and Beverly. The notes are by Mann and are so much more helpful and concise that the work of some of the "professional" writers Bethlehem has been using. The up-tempo numbers in this set, by the way, would be a fine way to introduce youngsters to jazz. Oldsters, too.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, November 16, 1955 [5 stars])*

1 - I've Told Ev'ry Little Star

(Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II)

2 - Love Is A Simple Thing

(Arthur Siegel, June Carroll)

3 - There's No You

(Tom Adair, Hal Hopper)

4 - Sorimao

(Herbie Mann)

5 - The Influential Mr. Cohn

(Herbie Mann)

6 - A One Way Love

(Herbie Mann)

7 - The Surrey With The Fringe On Top

(Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II)

8 - Flamingo

(Ted Grouya, Edmund Anderson)

9 - Little Orphan Annie

(Gus Kahn, Joe Sanders)

10 - Jasmin

(Quincy Jones)

11 - Beverly

(Herbie Mann)

12 - Woodchuck

(Joe Puma)

Herbie Mann (flute, alto flute, tenor sax), Joe Puma (guitar),

Charles Andrus (bass), Harold Granowsky (drums).

Recorded in New York City, June, 1955

Five-Star Collection... The Swinging Swedes

The Swinging Swedes • The Cool Britons

New Sounds From The Old World

This LP disc is unique in several respects. For the first time on any record, it presents a compact and complete picture of the best in modern jazz from the two European countries that have taken an undisputed lead, over all others outside the United States, in developing first-class talent in this field. For the first time it combines in one comprehensive LP the best in writing, in thinking and performing, that the brilliant young stars of Great Britain and Sweden have given the jazz world.

Every musician on Summertime, Pick Yourself Up and the double-length Cream of the Crop was selected, in a poll taken by Estrad magazine among 25 Swedish music critics, as the No. 1 man on his instrument — and the superb arrangements were the work of the No. 1 penman, Gösta Theselius, whom we hailed in Down Beat as the most brilliant new arranger on the jazz scene, irrespective of country.

(...)

No less remarkable is the swinging spirit of the all-star British groups under the leadership of Johnny Dankworth. Born in London in 1927, Johnny extracts his mellifluous tone and modern style from a plastic saxophone, an idea that has since been copied by several top American jazzmen. On the first two tunes, Birdland Bounce, Leapin' in London, Johnny conducts the winners of a poll conducted among readers of the English weekly Melody Maker, playing two of his own arrangements. The other two numbers, Tea for Me, Cherokee, are played by Johnny with his own combo, which was elected the country's No. 1 small band in the poll.

(...)

All in all, the performances in this double-header might well be described by one of the Swedish titles; they are, in every respect, the cream of the crop. *Leonard Feather (liner notes)*

New Sounds from the Old World is the apt title of this LP, which puts the best British and Swedish jazz back to back.

British titles are eloquent testimony to the triple talents of Johnny Dankworth, as alto man and arranger on all four sides, leader of the bigger group of Melody Maker poll winners on the first two numbers and of his own award-winning combo on the last pair. They also show off a fine trumpet man, Jimmy Deuchar, Ronnie Scott's tenor, several other confident soloists, and rhythm section work that's most effective on Bounce, the best item of the bunch.

We've already saluted the Swedes' Summertime and Pick, released as a single. The six-minute Crop is no less impressive. Theselius wrote a fascinating 12-bar theme and intermittent flashes of arrangement that break up the solo passages admirably but leave plenty of room for everyone to expound at length: Ericson's trumpet, Persson's trombone, Wickman's clarinet, Domnerus' alto, Norin's tenor, Gullin's baritone, Linde's vibes, Hallberg's piano, Carlberg's guitar, and, backing them all beautifully, Brehm's bass and Norén's drums. We've heard hundreds of Scandinavian sides, and to our knowledge this was the most successful date ever cut by the Swedes. Don’t miss it.

*Down Beat, Chicago, March 25, 1953*

Note: At the time of this review, the magazine did not identify the author. They only expressed: “Records in this section are reviewed and rated in terms of their musical merit.” In this case, the five stars went to The Swinging Swedes. The Cool Britons received only four stars.

Side 1

The Swinging Swedes

1 - Pick Yourself Up

(Jerome Kern, Dorothy Fields)

2 - Summertime

(George Gershwin)

3 - Cream Of The Crop

(Gösta Theselius)

Side 2

The Cool Britons

4 - Birdland Bounce (a.k.a. Brand's Essence)

(Traditional, arr. Johnny Dankworth)

5 - Leapin' In London (a.k.a. Marshall's Plan)

(Traditional, arr. Johnny Dankworth)

6 - Tea For Me (a.k.a. Seven Not Out)

(Johnny Dankworth)

7 - Cherokee

(Ray Noble)

#1, #2, #3:

Rolf Ericson (trumpet), Åke Persson (trombone), Putte Wickman (clarinet),

Arne Domnérus (alto sax), Carl-Henrik Norin (tenor sax), Lars Gullin (baritone sax),

Ulf Linde (vibes), Bengt Hallberg (piano), Sten Carlberg (guitar),

Simon Brehm (bass), Jack Norén (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, September 5, 1951

#4, #5:

Kenny Baker (trumpet), Gordon Langhorn (trombone), Henry McKenzie (clarinet),

Ronnie Chamberlain (soprano sax), Johnny Dankworth (alto sax), Ronnie Scott (tenor sax),

Dave Shand (baritone sax [#4]), Victor Feldman (vibes), Ralph Sharon (piano),

Ivor Mairants (guitar), Charlie Short (bass), Jack Parnell (drums).

Recorded in London, England, February 3, 1951

#6, #7:

Jimmy Deuchar (trumpet), Eddie Harvey (trombone), Johnny Dankworth (alto sax),

Don Rendell (tenor sax), Bill LeSage (piano), Eric Dawson (bass), Tony Kinsey (drums).

Recorded in London, England, July 29, 1950

Five-Star Collection... Thomas Talbert

Thomas Talbert

Bix • Duke • Fats

Leon Beiderbecke, Edward Ellington and Thomas Waller were three card-holding musicians, getting their money every Friday, playing a cornet and a couple of pianos, and writing their compositions. They are known in the jazz world's casual I-want-to-be-one-of-the-gang style, as Bix, Duke and Fats. Where the aficionados gather, no further identification is necessary. Bix did most of his writing in the latter twenties. Fats swung right up to his death in 1943. Some of his last work, written for the show, Early To Bed, was his best. Duke Ellington is still very much on the scene and working constantly. The thirties and early forties were a highly creative period for him.

(...)

Fats led a small group of good men. They were mainly a foil for his contagious, exuberant and slyly humorous personality. Bix worked through the Midwest with many small combinations. He played in Gene Goldkette’s bands. Except for recording with small pickup groups, he played his last years with Paul Whiteman. It is said that Henry Busse received the larger share of the hot chair parts. Duke Ellington has been a leader from the beginning, composing and arranging for his own band in prolific quantity.

But they all worked the country's saloons where jazz grew up. This is a world apart from the Broadway, West End or Hollywood composer who has only the current show on his mind. And with the lyricist to carry the day if the tune goes false. They were right in the midst of the instruments that were making the pulse that jazz is all about. And there's the tie-in for an album such as this. Three styles, yes... but all stemming from the same background. *Thomas Talbert (liner notes, 1956)*

The world has changed so much since this music was recorded but the beauty of the compositions has remained constant. I spent a lot of time selecting the material for the album and then the arrangements were written in four late summer weeks. Bond Street, the first, was  finished August 19 and the last, Orange Bright on  September 13. The final recording, the  Ellington tune with ten men, was September 14. There was an individual session for each composer as I used a different instrumentation to enhance how I heard each of their voices.

I remember the warm fall evening, after the Beiderbecke session, as my friend and copyist George Green and I walked west on Forty-second Street. It was not as bizarre a  locale then and we were going to meet Joe Wilder at Dixon's on Eighth Avenue for an early dinner. I was filled with satisfied accomplishment as we quietly spoke of the chamber-music recording challenge and of Joe's marvelous playing. It was a good day and the Wilder solos still soar.

They all did. What a joy it is for an arranger to have his writing, his  dream, played with such verve and empathy. New York had a shine on it in the '50s and it was exhilarating to be part of it.

*Thomas Talbert (liner notes, 1993)*

This is a stunning piece of work by all concerned. Talbert's writing is fresh and moody, and the performances, particularly the solo work, are firstrate.

There is a smooth blend of the horns, spiced by some bright brass figures, in the arranged passages. As for the solos, it's difficult to describe them without using hand motions or including a copy of the record in the magazine.

Wilder emerges as a trumpet man of stature and delicacy. His taste and flexibility are particularly evident on the Beiderbecke pieces, Mist, Candlelight, and Dark. Galbraith also is heard soulfully on the Bix tracks. Cleveland and Bert split the trombone solo spots, with Jimmy percussively exciting and Bert blowing warmly and with restraint.

The Talbert original, Green Night, is a moody, impressionistic work with actually none of the flavor of the three men to whom homage is paid by this album, but rather a logical extension of the mood created by the compositions.

This album is no tribute in style to Bix, Fats, and Duke. Rather, it is a collection of creations based on their works, The closest to a literal reading is Duke's Koko, which smacks of period Ellington in the rich opening ensemble prodded by Pettiford's throbbing bass.

One final word should be said about Wallington, whose presence is a vital thing, and whose solos and fills are a delight to hear.

Packaging is handsome, with the cover perhaps the most attractive jazz cover presented in many months. Talbert's notes are literate and illuminating, a fine argument for having musicians or leaders write the words about their music.

This is a great record, conceived and executed with taste and artistry.

*Dom Cerulli (Down Beat, June 27, 1957 [5 stars])*

1 - Clothes Line Ballet

(Fats Waller)

2 - In A Mist

(Bix Beiderbecke)

3 - Bond Street

(Fats Waller)

4 - Prelude To A Kiss

(Duke Ellington, Irving Gordon, Irving Mills)

5 - Green Night & Orange Bright

(Thomas Talbert)

6 - Black And Blue

(Fats Waller, Andy Razaf, Harry Brooks)

7 - Candlelights

(Bix Beiderbecke)

8 - Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now

(Fats Waller, Andy Razaf)

9 - In The Dark

(Bix Beiderbecke)

10 - Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me & Ko-Ko

(Duke Ellington, Bob Russell) & (Duke Ellington)

Thomas "Tom" Talbert (arrangements, conductor)

#1, #3, #6, #8:

Joe Wilder, Nick Travis (trumpets); Eddie Bert, Jimmy Cleveland (trombones);

Aaron Sachs (tenor sax, clarinet); George Wallington (piano);

Oscar Pettiford (bass); Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, August 24, 1956

#2, #7, #9:

Joe Wilder (trumpet), Jim Buffington (french horn), Joe Soldo (flute),

Danny Bank (clarinet, bass clarinet), Harold Goltzer (bassoon), Barry

Galbraith (guitar), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, September 7, 1956

#4, #5, #10:

Joe Wilder (trumpet), Eddie Bert (trombone), Jim Buffington (french horn),

Herb Geller (alto sax), Joe Soldo (alto sax, fute), Aaron Sachs (tenor sax, clarinet),

Danny Bank (baritone sax, bass clarinet), Claude Williamson (piano [#5]),

Barry Galbraith (guitar), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, September 14, 1956

Stan Getz: Completing his "Interpretations"

Stan Getz Quintet

Interpretations #3

When the first two "Interpretations" albums by the Stan Getz quintet proved so successful, the next step obviously was to follow the pattern and this — as you must have 

gathered by now — was indeed done. What gave the first two "Interpretations" their standout quality, most critics agreed, was the unity of the five musicians as well as the topflight musicianship of all concerned. There is especially solid rapport between the two featured soloists — Stan Getz, tenor saxophone, and Bob Brookmeyer, trombone, and one of the reasons for this could be the year which Brookmeyer spent with the Getz unit in 1953. This was a highly profitable year for both in terms of musical growth. ("The only way you learn", Getz once said, "is by playing with the best — so that there's always two challenges; first, your own inner challenge and then the feeling of being spurred by men who swing in your own outfit".) Getz, of course, has long been regarded as one of the foremost tenor men in modern jazz, a suspicion which first took hold strongly when he (with Zoot Sims, Serge Chaloff and Herbie Steward) provided Woody Herman with the "Four Brothers" sound. It was Getz whose solo gave much meaning to Herman's recording of the Ralph Burns composition, "Early Autumn". Since then he has been occupied largely with leading his own group, in most cases a quintet. *(From the liner notes)*

Interpretations by  the Stan Getz Quintet #3, apparently was made a couple of years ago with Bob Brookmeyer, John Williams, Bill Anthony, and Frank Isola. Getz is forceful and inventive, and Brookmeyer is an individual and sustainedly imaginative as usual. Also an asset are the slashing solos of Williams. A liability is the too chunky rhythm section which could flow a good deal more, particularly in the case of Isola. *Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, August 8, 1956 [4 stars])*

Sublime early work from Stan Getz — a lyrical genius even at this early point in his career! There's a subtle brilliance here that's undeniable — a tenor sound that draws from Lester Young and Ben Webster, but which pushes into fresh new territory for the 50s — lean, but still very soulful at the core — a blend that none of Stan's contemporaries could ever match this well! The album features a group that includes a very young Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, plus rhythm by Teddy Kotick, John Williams, and Frank Isola. Tracks are longish and easily swinging — and Getz's tone, as always, makes the whole thing come together like magic! Titles include "Oh Jane Snavely", "The Varsity Drag", "It Don't Mean A Thing", and "I'll Remember April". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - It Don't Mean A Thing (If You Ain't Got That Swing)

(Ellington, Mills)

2 - The Varsity Drag

(DeSylva, Brown, Henderson)

3 - Give Me The Simply Life

(Bloom, Ruby)

4 - I'll Remember April

(Raye, DePaul, Johnston)

5 - Oh, Jane Snavely

(Brookmeyer)

Stan Getz (tenor sax), Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone),

John Williamson (piano), Teddy Kotick (bass), Frank Isola (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, August 22 (#1) and July 27 (#2), 1953;

November 24 (#3, #4, #5), 1954

Five-Star Collection... Stan Getz

Stan Getz Quintet

Interpretations #1 

It's a strange thing about jazz, but the inner circle of the giants of jazz never seems really to widen very much. Its exclusivity, based upon talent and the durability of that 

talent, rarely admits to the newcomer in the jazz world. Musicians like Goodman, Tatum, Hawkins, Hodges, Young, Ellington, Basie, Carter, and Armstrong, can rarely be pushed aside to allow room for a new face. Recently Parker has made the inner circle, and before that, Eldridge and Gillespie, and possibly one or two others that I haven't mentioned, but I think you see my point.

In the past few years Stan Getz has been the most likely candidate for being pledged to this group, and like all pledges, has had to prove himself doubly. I think that the time will arrive very soon where Getz can be accorded full membership in this group.

It is a truism that it is impossible to separate an artist and his playing hours from the man in his non-playing hours. How the artist represents or conducts himself, his attitude towards society about him and to life in general, are all reflected in his artistry. This is particularly true about Getz. He has a good deal of the schooled and finished musician about him, and that can be seen and heard in the execution of his instrument and in the flow of his musical ideas. Yet, there is something equally immature and undeveloped in the poignancy of his playing, in his tone, and in his very "sound". He literally, in many things, cries, and in that I think he reflects not only himself and his own feelings, but sometimes, society as a whole. Thus, when his playing lacks a certain vigor, it's not because of the lack of musical ability, but rather the weakness of the man, and this, curiously, gives him a different sound and makes him different from his fellow artists in jazz. Jazz, after all, is one of the arts where the interpreter mirrors his own inner feelings and in a sense comments on his relationship to the world around him. You may not like what he has to say, or even how he says it, but I think you will find that Stan Getz's comments on life are interesting in any event.

*Norman Granz (liner notes)*

One of the most distinguished jazz chamber music collections of the year. Stan is joined by Bob Brookmeyer and a  wonderful rhythm section of Teddy Kotick, Frank Isola, and Johnny Williams (rapidly becoming one of the major young pianists). The quality and quantity of easeful invention on these sides is exceptional.

Brookmeyer did the arranging and wrote the original. These are among Bob's best records so far, and the same can be said of Getz. I recommend the candid, perceptive essay on Getz by Norman Granz in the notes. The future is now up to Stan — he is youn enough to evolve as a person and if he can do that, his already high stature as a musician can grow to heights not even he quite realizes. My one gratuitous regret about Brookmeyer is that so creative a musician is presently being expended in the rocking chair exercises of the Mulligan quartet.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, July 14, 1954 [5 stars])*

Stan Getz Quintet

Interpretations #2

There is not much that can be said about this "Interpretations" album by the Stan Getz Quintet that I did not adequately cover in the first volume of this series. At that time I commented that Getz had won all the polls for more years than I can recall as the best tenor saxophonist; he has been accorded by critics, 

and possibly more importantly, by the public itself, a permanent, important niche in the history of jazz, and his playing has that necessary consistency of high quality which must be identified with a great artist. 

Factually, his accompanists in this album are: Bob Brookmeyer on Trombone; John Williamson on Piano; Teddy Kotick on Bass; and Frank Isola on Drums. The tunes you will hear are: "Fascinatin’ Rhythm", "Minor Blues", "I Didn’t Know What Time It Was", and "Tangerine".

*Norman Granz (liner notes)*

This is Volume 2 of Norgran's Stan Getz quintet series (with Bob Brookmeyer, John Williams, and Teddy Kotick). The same is true of this as of the first volume (Down Beat, July 14). It is consistently "distinguished jazz chamber music". Everyone blows well and the set is well recorded. The one original, a good one, is Brookmeyer's. Package is factory sealed and there's a fine cover portrait of poll-winner Getz. *Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, January 12, 1955, 1954 [5 stars])*

Stan Getz

Stan Getz Quintet

Interpretations #2 (+ #1)

The Poll Winners label is devoted to the reissue of albums that received the maximum 5-Star review ratings in the iconic jazz magazine, DownBeat, this release contains the two complete 10" LPs titled Interpretations (Norgran MGN1000 and MGN 1008) by the Stan Getz Quintet, which were the frst long-play discs issued by Norgran, a Los Angeles label own by Norman Granz Include in this issue are three bonus tracks, master takes from the same sessions and with the exact same quintet.

During the 1950s Stan Getz occasionally worked with trumpeters Dick Sherman, Tony Fruscella, Conte Candoli or Chet Baker but his most regular associate at that time was Bob Brookmeyer. They worked extensively at Boston's Hi-Hat as well as Zardi's and The Tiffany in Los Angeles and their quintet was one of the most inventive small groups of the era.

Jimmy Giuffre said in a 1961 Downbeat article "That band is my favorite of all the jazz groups I've ever heard". Years later Bob Brookmeyer was surprised when I mentioned this to him – "Jimmy said that? Bless him".

Their work together has been constantly reissued and 20 years ago Definitive Records released "The Complete 1953-1954 Quintet Studio Recordings". Definitive made the bizarre decision to highlight Brookmeyer as the leader, which would surprise Bob and Stan if they were still around. There was also a live performance from November 1954 which found the quintet at its very best – "Stan Getz At The Shrine".

Interpretations #2 and #1 is a fine example of what the quintet had to offer. It benefits from the presence of John Williams, who was one of the finest pianists of his generation. He had a highly rhythmic approach to accompaniment, reminiscent of Horace Silver, but sadly he dropped out of the jazz scene in the late 50s. His good friend Frank Isola was a sympathetic drummer with a light touch that was perfect for the quintet, but just like Williams his stay in the jazz spotlight was a brief one. His last recording was on Mose Allison's Back "Country Suite" in 1957.

The horns are, of course, in fine form, drawing inspiration from the contrapuntal exchanges that were such a notable feature of their work together. *Gordon Jack (jazzjournal.co.uk)*

1 - Minor Blues

(Bob Brookmeyer)

2 - Fascinatin' Rhythm

(George and Ira Gershwin)

3 - I Didn't Know What Time It Was

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

4 - Tangerine

(Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger)

5 - Love And The Weather

(Irvin Berlin)

6 - Spring Is Here

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

7 - Crazy Rhythm

(Irvin Caesar, Roger Kahn, Joseph Mayer)

8 - Willow Weep For Me

(Ann Ronell)

9 - The Nearness Of You

(Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington)

10 - Pot Luck

(Johnny Mandel)

11 - It Don't Mean A Thing

(Duke Ellington, Irving Mills)

12 - The Varsity Drag

(Lew Brown, B. G. De Sylva, Ray Henderson)

13 - Pot Luck (single version)

(Johnny Mandel)

#1 to #-4: from Interpretations #2 (Norgran MGM 1008)

#5 to #10: from Interpretations #1 (Norgran MGM 1000)

#11 and #12 : from Interpretations #3 (Norgran MGM 1029)

Stan Getz (tenor sax), Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone),

John Williamson (piano), Teddy Kotick (bass), Frank Isola (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, August 15 (#1, #2, #8),

August 22 (#3, #4, #9, #10, #11, #13) and July 27 (#5, #6, #7, #12), 1953

Five-Star Collection... John LaPorta

John LaPorta

John LaPorta Quintet

With Louis Mucci

For some years now, I have been crying the excellences of John LaPorta as clarinetist, alto saxist, arranger and composer. And for as many years, John has been quietly justifying that enthusiasm of mine in his clarinet-playing, alto work and scoring, whether of his own lines or others. Today, therefore, when friends and acquaintances and strangers call me up or stop me in the street to tell me that they have heard "the clarinetist" who also turns out to be an alto man of irreproachable taste and skill and then identify him as John, I can just barely resist saying "told you so" and citing chapter and verse, which in my case means volume and number of Metronome. A musician of John's extraordinary qualities deserves more of a critic, however, than pride of discovery — if anybody can ever really be said to discover anybody else. What he deserves more than anything else, of a critic or any other responsible person, is the opportunity to be heard. Here, at last, in this album, John LaPorta can be heard. These words of introduction are intended only to point out a few things you might keep in mind as you listen. *Barry Ulanov (liner notes)*

This is one of the rarer events of the year. Alto-clarinetist-writer LaPorta has been heard infrequently on records as a sideman with Woody Herman (in section), Lennie Tristano, and on a couple of Metronome all-star dates. This is his first LP to himself and he emerges as a major modern jazzman, an altoist worthy of comparison with Desmond, Konitz, Donaldson, Geller, and Shank, among the younger aspirants to Bird's mantle. John also blows some impressive clarinet here, but there's not enough to gauge his stature on that instrument as surely as one can on alto. LaPorta has a beat, tone, mastery of his instrument, and above all, mature conception that makes him a constantly absorbing pleasure to listen to.

What makes this folio particularly impressive is the quality of John's writing (all six tunes are his). For the most part, these are lines that are carefully thought out and are also organically alive, unlike too many of the sketchy "originals" that proliferate on many modern jazz record dates. LaPorta is that still unusual phenomenon: a long-term student (and teacher) of theory and composition who also has the jazz listening and playing experience that enables him to use form meaningfully in a thoroughly jazz context. In this case, the forms are relatively simple but they're sound beginnings toward further extension.

John's excellent rhythm section is composed of Eddie Shaughnessy, Wally Cirillo (his solo on Fringe Area is particularly indicative of his growth as a pianist), and bassist Richard Carter. Carter is a little known bassist hidden in Staten Island who plays with great warmth, full tone, and over-all soundness of musicianship that should bring him many more record dates and steadier gigs.

On trumpet is a skilled alumnus of the early Norvo, Claude Thornhill, and Goodman bands, a brilliant lead man, Louis Mucci. Mucci, now on CBS staff, has a fine clarity of tone (listen to him on the touching requiem, The Old Man’s Touch) and impressive technique. On this LP, his function is to play the cleanly wrought lines written for him by John while the others handle the improvisation, but since Mucci has long desired to be a jazzman, it's to be hoped that on future dates, he'll acquire the confidence to blow on his own for awhile.

Except for some slight surface interference on the second and third bands, the recording quality is good. LaPorta would like eventually to package the scores of his originals with the recordings of them — a good idea that I hope Debut acts on. The first paragraph of the program notes, by the way, is a dramatically absorbing spectacle of the soul-struggle within a modest critic as he tries to restrain himself from "saying 'I told you so". He loses.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, November 3, 1954 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Fluid Drive

2 - Right Around Home

3 - The Old Man's Touch

Side 2

4 - This Hectic Life

5 - Quarto

6 - Fringe Area

(All compositions by John LaPorta)

John Laporta (alto sax, clarinet), Louis Mucci (trumpet),

Wally Cirillo (piano), Dick Carter (bass), Ed Shaughnessy (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 9, 1954

Five-Star Collection... John Graas (II)

In a previous post, we highlighted how producer Tom Mack, in the liner notes of Jazz Studio #3, underscored the pivotal role Jazz Studio #2 played in John Graas's career. This was the album that let listeners hear Graas in a completely new light — as a composer and arranger. His debut as an arranger on this project quickly drew the attention of jazz soloists and record labels, and it set the stage for larger commissions that would define the path of his career.

The story behind the album makes it even more fascinating. In 1954, as Decca expanded its catalog with new 12-inch LPs, Tom Mack turned to the West Coast's finest studio musicians. Graas, already known for his mastery of the French horn, took the lead, assembling an exceptional ensemble: Don Fagerquist, Milt Bernhart, Herb Geller, Jimmy Giuffre, Marty Paich, Howard Roberts, Curtis Counce, and Larry Bunker.

The result was a record that not only showcased impeccable musicianship but also captured the relaxed, sophisticated vibe of 1950s Los Angeles—a snapshot of an era in sound. Jazz Studio #2 became more than an album; it was a gateway for John Graas, opening doors to new opportunities and solidifying a group of musicians who would come to define the West Coast jazz scene.

Although Down Beat awarded it four stars in 1956, the 2004 CD reissue of From Hollywood received a five-star rating from AllMusic, earning it a rightful place in our Five-Star Collection — a recognition that ensures this landmark album continues to reach new listeners today.

John Graas

Jazz Studio #2 • From Hollywood

If there is one word that epitomizes the kind of jazz which has been developing on the West Coast during the past few years, probably that word is "organization". For although the swinging beat, once minimized by purists as a distraction, has happily returned to the scene, with the result that jazz on the Coast now swings with complete freedom, it has done so within the framework of individual patterns which have become organized to considerable degree.

A typical modern jazz group in Hollywood seems to follow nature's principle of tension-and-release, which in music is at least as old as the earliest symphonies, yet, being basic, seems fresh whenever applied to new forms and subjected to new interpretations. Usually the first chorus takes the formidable talents of the performers and constrains them lightly within the bounds of an arrangement which is actually a jumping-off place for what is to follow. During these initial choruses, which are characterized by an interdependence and mutual awareness of the performers, a tension builds to a point where a soloist derives a powerful send-off into his own improvisation. Often contrapuntal, harmonically interesting, these jump ensembles have come to replace almost entirely the unison riff of the early days of jazz. It is not considered bad form for one or more musicians (other than the rhythm section) to chime in with improvised backgrounds to another's solo, thus often giving unusual contrapuntal effects to the soloist's performance.

The word "modern", applied to any kind of music, sometimes makes people expect a preponderance of dissonances, atonality, and harsh sounds. Paradoxically enough, modern West Coast jazz is very melodic, possibly because the arrangers and composers in this medium are more apt to lean upon Bach than Schoenberg. The paradox extends to the basic sound, which is generally a quiet sound, seldom resorting to screaming high notes to achieve the excitement that is jazz. Excitement is generated by a swinging beat, good melodic form, and imaginative writing.

In JAZZ STUDIO 2 we are attempting to offer a representative picture of the kind of jazz which is pretty much indigenous to the West Coast, played by some of the musicians who have contributed notably to this development. It is not intended to set it apart from jazz everywhere, and of course the listener will find a great deal which is not regional. *Tom Mack (liner notes, 1954)*

An absorbing set recorded in Hollywood by Tom Mack. Personel included Herb Geller, Milt Bernhart, John Graas, Don Fagerquist, Marty Paich, Curtis Counce, Howard Roberts, Larry Bunker, and Jimmy Guiffre on tenor and baritone (and I think the tasty clarinet on Lions is his, too). How come, by the way, Jimmy just gets one credit line buried in the notes and no front cover billing?

Anyway, the playing of all involved is just fine. This record, for one thing, should firmly establish Herb Geller as one of the undeniably arrived alto stars. The man has it—ideas, beat, pungent tone, and above all, heart. Herb blows with everything he has; he doesn't try to fit himself into icily studied attitudes. John Graas' French horn comes through freer, more swinging and more inventive than on his Trend sides. Bernhart had a sweepingly relaxed ball on the date judging from his playing. Guiffre and Fagerquist are firstrate and the rhythm section is crisp, light and steady. Howard Roberts' guitar, imagination and tone are highly impressive and it's good to hear full-toned bassist Curtis Counce get some extended solo space.

Almost all of the writing is of better than average consistency and some contains real organic development. Graas wrote Lions and Graas Point and arranged Do It Again. Paich contributed Paicheck and arranged the other two songs. Graas Point has some especially intriguing contrapuntal intersections and there's a swingingly fresh feel to the lines of Lions that isn't as easy to attain as it may sound.

Footnote: Listen to the entrance of Fagerquist and Bernhart in Dream. It must have been a thoroughly sunny California day when this LP was made. This is a distinguished Decca debut for Mr. Mack. Give the man a raise and let him do some more sessions — even if he does think there's such a thing as "west coast jazz". *Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, October 6, 1954 [4 satrs])*

The Jazz Studio series recorded for Decca during the 1950s produced a lot of enjoyable sessions, though many of them were very hard to obtain.

Jazz Studio, Vol. 2, with French horn player John Graas as the leader of this cool-oriented West Coast session, with trumpeter Don Fagerquist, trombonist Milt Bernhart, alto saxophonist Herb Geller, Jimmy Giuffre (who plays clarinet, tenor, and baritone saxes), pianist Marty Paich, guitarist Howard Roberts, bassist Curtis Counce, and drummer Larry Bunker on hand. The mood is considerably more subdued than the bop material recorded by the East Coast musicians heard on Jazz Studio, Vol. 1, but the music has held up very well, with excellent solos and strong charts by Graas and Paich. Highlights include Graas' intricate "Here Come the Lions" and Paich's equally challenging "Paicheck" (note its equally witty title). *Ken Dryden (2004, allmusic.com [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Laura

(David Raksin, Johnny Mercer)

2 - Here Come The Lions

(John Graas)

3 - Paicheck

(Marty Paich)

Side 2

4 - Graas Point

(John Graas)

5 - Darn That Dream

(Jimmy Van Heusen, Eddie De Lange)

6 - Do It Again

(George Gershwin)

Don Fagerquist (trumpet), Milt Bernhart (trombone), John Graas (french horn), 

Herb Geller (alto sax), Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax),

Marty Paich (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded at Decca's Studio 55, Los Angeles, California, June 4, 1954

Five-Star Collection... John Graas (I)

John Graas

Jazz Studio #3

For some time, JOHN GRAAS, winner of the 1954 Metronome Poll, has been building a reputation as one of the most important modern jazz instrumentalists, and he has been doing it with an instrument usually found in the hallowed precincts of the symphony hall: the French Horn. For this he is to be congratulated, because he is welding one more link in the chain which binds all modern music, and helping to destroy the prejudices which have served no good purpose but to divide where there should be no division.

"JAZZ STUDIO 3: JOHN GRAAS" offers the listener the opportunity of witnessing the growth of the artist in other fields: those of composition and arranging. 

Since making his arranging debut in "JAZZ STUDIO 2", John's newly discovered writing talents have been much in demand. Many jazz soloists and recording companies 

have sought his product, but even more important, he has been commissioned, as a direct result of his work in "JAZZ STUDIO 2", to compose a Jazz Symphony. Portions 

of this work will appear here. "JAZZ STUDIO 3" is glad to show-case Graas' writing talent in a stage of its development which will be all the more apparent to those who 

were first impressed by his flair for contrapuntal invention as illustrated by "GRAAS POINT", considered by many the high point of "STUDIO 2". *Tom Mack (liner notes)*

Decca's third Jazz Studio set is devoted to the composition and arrangements of French horn expert John Graas. The selections are played by a septet, quartet, and ninetet. The overall personnel comprises Graas, Gerry Mulligan, Don Fagerquist, Red Mitchell, Larry Bunker, Marty Paich, Howard Roberts, Charlie Mariano, Conte Candoli, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Giuffre, Andre Previn, and Curtis Counce. The material covers a refreshingly wide range beginning with a briskly swinging tribute to Mulligan. My Buddy is resurrected from the land of bathos and turns up in a lyrically imaginative quartet arrangement marked by some excellent interlinear play by Mulligan and Graas. The 6/4 framework comes off jumping and the Charleston shakes off its age under Graas' deftly hip hand to end the first side.

Rogeresque is another bright and effective tribute. From Graas' forthcoming Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony, nine men play the sonata allegro and the atonal scherzo. I don’t know whether this will sound as free and idiomatic when scored for full symphony orchestra and jazz soloists, but as of the way it comes through here, these two sections indicate that Graas is constructing a largely fresh, vital work — one that, though somewhat eclectic, already carries much more individualized conviction than the overrated Liebermann Concerto for Jazz Band and Symphony Orchestra. The set closes with an incisive modernization of 12th Street Rag.

The playing by everyone on the date is excellent, and Graas gets the full rating because of the scope of his imagination and his ability to write modern jazz frameworks that, for the most part, challenge the soloists rather than constrict them. Not everything comes off wholly here, but so much of worth and individuality is going on that the set deserves a wide audience.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, June 1, 1955 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Mullinganesque

(John Graas)

2 - My Buddy

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

3 - 6/4 And Even

(John Graas)

4 - Charleston

(Cecil Mack, Jimmy Johnson)

Side 2

5 - Rogeresque

(John Graas)

Jazz Sections From Symphony No.1 in F Minor

6 - a) Sonata Allegro

7 - b) Scherzo

(John Graas)

8 - 12th Street Rag

(Andy Razaf, Euday L. Bowman)

#1, #3:

John Graas (french horn), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Don Fagerquist (trumpet),

Marty Paich (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Red Mitchell (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

#2:

John Graas (french horn), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax),

Red Mitchell (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

#4, #6, #7:

John Graas (french horn), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax), André Previn (piano),

Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Larry Bunker (drums). 

#5, #8:

John Graas (french horn), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Marty Paich (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Larry Bunker (drums). 

Recorded at Decca's Studio 55, Los Angeles, California,

December 16 (#1, #2, #3), 1954; January 6 (#4, #6, #7) and January 8 (#5, #8), 1955

Five-Star Collection... The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra

The Sauter-Finegan Orchestra

The Sons Of Sauter-Finegan

To anyone who has never enjoyed the felicities of life in a large family, the purpose and particular joy of this present album may appear somewhat obscure, but on the other hand, those who have grown up in the midst of countless brothers (or sisters) and have been saddled with years of hand-me-downs will know at once just what it is that has brought us together. We may not be members of a regulation-type family in the generally accepted sense of the term, but it is one that swings like few others — and we ask you, how many other families get a chance to carry out the work of their parents as we do that of Eddie and Bill? It's sometimes difficult (if not impossible) to follow, but man, we dig it!

You are all undoubtedly aware of the size of our musical family — unfortunately, we have only one sister, but man, there are brothers coming out of every instrument imaginable, not to mention the woodwork. Not that it isn’t the greatest, but it's always nice to get away for a little vacation even if it means nothing more than traipsing down to the nearest recording studio. So, when RCA Victor's Jack Lewis got together with our parental team and suggested that the older members of the family cut some sides, we were all for it. But don't get the wrong idea — our beards are not quite that white, it’s just that we've been around longer than some of the other S-F kids. And just to make things complete, we thought we should invite one of the parents to sit in with us — it turned out to be Bill Finegan on piano, but if we had used any kazoos it would inevitably have been the estimable Mr. Sauter. He did show up, however, to lead his renowned choir. 

Of course, the making of these records did not actually constitute a vacation, for at the time they were being cut we were also fulfilling an engagement at the New York night spot known as Basin Street. But the music itself is a distinet change from what we usually play with the band. There, in the intricate, colorful, and always swinging arrangements by Eddie and Bill, we join all our other brothers in a massive panorama of sound — we only rarely receive the opportunity to show what we can do in a solo capacity. Not that we're complaining, for there’s really no musical satisfaction quite like playing the products of the Sauter-Finegan imagination, but every musician likes to blow on his own every once in a while, and on these dates we blew to our hearts’ content. Bill built some simple arrangements around each one of us, and from that 

point it was every man for himself.

(...)

Come to think of it, this was something of a vacation — but most of all, it was just great fun. There's something about spontaneous creation that lifts all of us, in an individual way, just a little higher, and especially when it's something we don't do every day, it comes as almost a new experience. At the present writing, we're back with all our countless brothers, once again in the midst of recorders, kazoos, finger cymbals and elephant bells, but for us — and we hone for you, too — the melody lingers on. *(from the liner notes)*

There have been and continue to be many brilliant sidemen in the Sauter-Finegan entourage, but the extent of each man's expressivity has been constricted by the gimmicky, heavily pretentious book of the band. Now, thanks to Jack Lewis of Victor, several of these sidemen have been gathered into small units and have been given ample solo space in loose "head" arrangements. The sides were cut several months ago.

The musicians are: Bobby Nichols, trumpet and fluegel horn; Nick Travis, trumpet and valve trombone; Sonny Russo, trombone; Tommy Mitchell, trombone; Joe Venuto, marimba and vibes; Francis James, bass; Mousey Alexander, drums; Bill Finegan, piano.

Everyone on the date is in fine form. Sonny Russo, (now with Neal Hefti) indicates again he's one of the better young trombonists in jazz although, like his contemporary, Frank Rosolino, Sonny is ill-advised to sing. Mitchell also shows well. Nichols and Travis play with moving warmth and impressive musicianship. Venuto makes it on his one solo band. Though I respect Mousey Alexander, the rhythm section isn't as apt as it could have been for the small units that make up the date. It could flow more, particularly on the up-tempos.

Nichols has two ballads to himself that he plays beautifully, and he duets with Travis on three other numbers. Russo has two to himself, and everyone joins in the last number. Of special interest are two of the Nichols-Travis numbers, Non-Identical Twins and Two Bats in a Cave. Both have the two hornmen alone — without rhythm section. Their third duet, Nip and Tuck — with rhythm — is also absorbing. Good recorded sound throughout. One of the more imaginative albums of the year.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, September 21, 1955 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Back In Your Own Backyard

(Rose, Jolson, Dreyer)

2 - I Surrender Dear

(Barris, Clifford)

3 - Street Of Dreams

(Young, Lewis)

4 - Lip Service

(Russo, Mitchell)

5 - Two Bats In A Cave

(Nichols, Travis)

6 - Mad About The Boy

(Coward)

Side 2

7 - Over The Rainbow

(Arlen, Harburg)

8 - Non-Identical Twins

(Nichols, Travis)

9 - Easy To Remember

(Rodgers, Hart)

10 - Nip And Tuck

(Nichols, Travis)

11 - Fascinating Rhythm

(G. & I. Gershwin)

12 - Procrastination

(Finegan)

Eddie Sauter (arrangements, direction), Bill Finegan (piano, celesta [#7]), 

Bobby Nichols (trumpet, flugelhorn [#7]), Nick Travis (trumpet, valve trombone [#9]),

Sonny Russo (trombone, vocals [#1]), Tommy Mitchell (trombone),

Joe Venuto (marimba [#2], vibes), Francis James (bass), Mousey Alexander (drums).

Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, New York City,

January 15 (#1, #3, #10, #11), 16 (#2, #5, #6, #9) and 20 (#4, #7, #8, #12), 1955