Charlie Mariano & Jerry Dodgion Sextet - Beauties Of 1918

To quote Shelly Manne, "Charlie Mariano is one of the most underrated if not THE most underrated alto man in the country. I hear him every night on my band and his melodic sense never ceases to amaze me. His lines are beautiful and he solos with great continuity".

It is just as surprising to me as it is to Shelly that Mariano's talent is not recognized as widely as that of some of his contemporaries. The reasons for this apparent lack of acclaim seem contradictory. It can’t be lack of exposure because there are no fewer than five long playing and: two extended play Mariano albums under three different labels in my library. He has been a featured jazz player with every band he has appeared with since his Boston days. In addition to his work with Shelly Manne and His Men during the past three years he has recorded extensively with Hollywood studio groups of varying size and orientation. 

Maybe the explanation of the underrating is his being out of fashion with the people who compile national ratings. This oftentimes has nothing to do with the musician’s playing as related to his overall contribution to jazz, but more his adherence to the currently fashionable manner of performing. It seems silly to rate a man by the fashion of the day (although Coleman Hawkins has suffered from it off and on for years) but that’s the way it appears to be. 

Jerry Dodgion is very likely the musician on this record who will be unknown to most people. I have known Jerry since his late teens. He was born in Richmond, California in 1932. He has worked with every big band I have backed in the bay area. I have watched him grow into the most important alto player in San Francisco, He became THE big band lead alto almost before I realized it. Jerry was also the only jazz flute player in town, and it was this talent that took him to Las Vegas early in 1958 to join Red Norvo’s quintet.

How does it happen that a young San Franciscan suddenly arrives in the ranks of the ‘name’ musicians in Los Angeles? Russ Freeman, who produced this record for WORLD-PACIFIC related it to me this way: "The last time we were in San Francisco, we went to blow at some motel on the outskirts of town one afternoon. There were some other musicians there and we took turns playing. Jerry was there. The afternoon wound up with Charlie and Jerry playing the blues with a rhythm section for about twenty minutes. It was one of the most memorable musical experiences I have ever had, and I wasn’t even playing! 

"When I started working for Dick (Bock), I remembered this combination of Charlie and Jerry, told Dick about it, and we decided to do an album. Charlie and I spent a couple of afternoons picking the tunes, we decided on the instrumentation, picked the players, and that was it". 

The ‘it’ is the record inside this liner which was recorded at Radio Recorders during two afternoon sessions. All of the arrangements were written by Charlie, and the title BEAUTIES OF 1918 just about tells the story. 

All of the tunes were popular during the years that America was engaged in fighting the GREAT WAR. 

Of his playing on this record Mariano said, "I hate to say that this is the best I’ve played because a couple of years from now this will probably seem ridiculous to me, since I expect to keep on improving".

In other words, nearly a decade and some five record albums after his first record session, Charlie Mariano is looking ahead to a better way of things.

I sure do like Charlie Mariano. *Pat Henry (liner notes)*

Pianist Russ Freeman, who produced this record, related it this way: The last time we were (with Shelly Mannes quintet) in San Francisco, we went to blow at some motel on the outskirts of town one afternoon. There were some other musicians there; we took turns playing. Jerry (Dodgion) was there. The afternoon wound up with Charlie and Jerry playing the blues with a rhythm section for about twenty minutes. It was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had, and I wasnt even playing! The co-leaders, both hard saxists in style, reflect their capable mastery of the work of those they admire. Dodgion likes Phil Woods, and Mariano is more closely Parkerish. I hear Charlie every night on my band, said Shelly Manne, and his melodic sense never ceases to amaze me. His lines are beautiful and he solos with great continuity. *Jordi Pujol*

Side 1

1 - After You've Gone

(Creamer, Layton)

2 - When Johnny Comes Marching Home

(L. Lambert)

3 - Deep River

(H. Burleigh)

4 - Till We Meet Again

(Egan, Whiting)

Side 2

5 - K-K-K-Katy

(J. O'Hara)

6 - 'Til The Clouds Roll By

(Kern, Boldton, Wodehouse)

7 - Over There

(George M. Cohan)

8 - Ja Da

(B. Carolton)

9 - Hello, Central, Give Me No Man's Land

(Lewis, Young, Swartz)

Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Jerry Dodgion (alto sax, flute), Victor Feldman (vibes), Jimmy Rowles (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California, December 10 and 11, 1957.