Dick Marx - Delicate Savagery

One of the primary requisites of jazz improvisation is the ability to play the right notes, with the right sound, in the right sequence at the right time. Not until all four of these elements have been blended in the imagination of a creative artist and expressed through the medium of a sensitive instrument can we hear a perfect demonstration of what might best be called musical marksmanship, or the skill of hitting one's musical aims right on the bull's-eye. 

Marxmanship, as we might call it in the particular instance of this LP, can be found in abundance as Dick Marx seeks a particular musical formula and finds it with the help of two sidemen no less adequately equipped in this subtle art of perfect timing. 

Dick is one of the minority of jazz musicians that have managed to plant firm footprints on the sands of rythmic time without taking either foot very far from Chicago. Since at least 90% of today's big name musicians have spent much of their careers rooted either in New York or Los Angeles, twin meccas of most of the radio, recording, and general business activity for jazz, it is all the more remarkable that he has built up a firm following nationally while during the past six years he has enjoyed a series of two-year stretches respectively at three Chicago clubs, the Lei Aloha, Cloister Inn and Mr. Kelly's.

Dick names Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson and Billy Taylor as his favorite performers and, presumably, major influences. "I found myself playing in a different style from what I’m used to", Dick comments. "As a rule I don’t play many single-note passages, but with such a strong rhythm section it was fun to let them swing while I played little "tinkly" things. My intention with most of these performances, aside from the ballads, was to swing. I didn't use any really fast tempos because I was aiming for that middle tempo that seems to me to be most conducive to real swinging. And most of the tunes we selected were things that had not been recorded too often, so that they would be a little fresher to the majority of listeners".

After listening to these sides we feel you will agree with us that Dick was well-advised to change the pace a little by adding drums for this moving set of performances. The result is an interestingly different demonstration of the delicate art of Marxmanship. *Leonard Feather (liner notes)*

Side 1

1 -How Could You Do A Thing Like That To Me

(Tyree Glenn, Alan Roberts)

2 - Ding Dong–The Witch Is Dead

(Harold Arlen, E. Y. Harburg)

3 - Shenandoah

(Traditional)

4 - Joey, Joey, Joey

(Frank Loesser)

5 - The Breeze And I

(Ernesto Lecuona, Al Stillman)

6 - Midnight Sun

(Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke)

Side 2

7 - Waitin' For Debbie

(Dick Marx, John Frigo)

8 - Change Partners

(Irvin Berlin)

9 - Blue Safari

(Lou Stein)

10 - Here I Am In Love Again

(Moose Charlap, Chuck Sweeney)

11 - (Love Is) The Tender Trap

(J. V. Heusen, S. Cahn)

Dick Marx (piano); Johnny Frigo (bass); Norm Jeffries [#4, #5, #7, #8], Cy Salzberg [#1, #2, #3, #6, #9, #10 #11] (drums).

Recorded in Chicago, Illinois, May 5 (#4, #5, #7, #8) and 6 (#1, #2, #3, #6, #9, #10 #11), 1957.