West Coast Jazz All Stars - College Confidential

If you grew up in the 1970's and 1980's you're probably familiar with Elliott's music since he spent most of his career composing for Saturday morning cartoons (and a few tracks in you'll be instantly reminded of those dated Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny cartoons that were pale imitations of the originals.) This is the soundtrack to a film called "College Confidential", a 1960 American B-movie drama directed by Albert Zugsmith and starring Steve Allen, Jayne Meadows and Mamie Van Doren, one of the few film soundtracks that Elliott did.

Of interest is the judicious use of the boo bam, a Polynesian bamboo instrument that was en vogue during the exotica movement (you've heard it before). Six of the tracks do feature a jazz combo with most of the players listed on the front having a go at reasonable jazz originals, but the session suffers the same fate as many soundtracks: the music is meant to accompany cinematic images and not stand alone. *David Rickert*

Dean Elliott has written and arranged some extremely interesting big band jazz music for the film "College Confidential" and this LP offers the sound track, as played by such musicians as Shelly Manne, Bud Shank, Milt Bernhart, Bob Cooper, Don Fagerquist, Milt Holland, Jimmy Rowles and others. Hot, wild, blue and sensitive in turn, these originals may strike enough filmgoers' fancies to bring sales for the disk. Display in college towns and near theaters showing the film should aid dealers. *Billboard, December 5, 1960*

Side 1

1 - Main Title

2 - Faux Pas

3 - Make The Scene

4 - Breakup

5 - Blues Train

6 - Mad Dad

7 - Lazy Lady

8 - So Be It (Blues)

Side 2

9 - Wild Ride

10 - Gotta Be Hot Or Cold

11 - Decision

12 - Prelude And Lovers Quarrel

13 - Let's Go

14 - Raid

15 - So Be It (Jazz)

16 - End Title

(All compositions by Dean Elliott)

West Coast Jazz All Stars: 

George Werth, Don Fagerquist (trumpets); Cappy Lewis (flugelhorn, trumpet); Milt Bernhart, Ed Kusby, Marshall Cram (trombones); Ben Kanter, Bud Shank (alto saxes); Bob Cooper (tenor sax); Champ Webb (tenor sax, English horn); John E. Lowe (baritone sax); Jimmy Rowles (piano); Phil Stephens (bass); Shelly Manne, Al Stoller (drums); Milt Holland (bongos, percussion [boo-bam]).

Personnel on tracks #3, #5, #7, #8, #10, #13 and #15:

Don Fagerquist (trumpet), Milt Bernhart (trombone), Bud Shank (alto sax), Bob Cooper (tenor sax), Jimmy Rowles (piano), Phil Stephens (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, 1960.