Jon Eardley - From Hollywood To New York

You can add Jon Eardley to that voluminous list of talented jazz musicians who came to prominence in the 50s but could never make it in the States, so they eventually took off for Europe. Fortunately the trumpeter was preserved in some great company before he left. This OJC reissue features two Prestige/New Jazz 10"s combined on to one LP length CD. The first, Jon Eardley In Hollywood is a nice Christmas day 1954 quartet session with pianist Pete Jolly, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Larry Bunker. Next stop is Rudy Van Gelder's Hackensack studio on March 14, 1955 for the star of the show, Hey There, Jon Eardley! Here we get to hear the trumpeter paired off with tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose, another brilliant player who never really got his due. An excellent rhythm trio of George Syran on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass and Nick Stabulas on drums provides a solid foundation, as they do on  Seven. This is forward-thinking modern jazz performed excellently, making From Hollywood to New York a thoroughly enjoyable trip. *Brad Richman (amazon.com)*

Trumpeter Jon Eardley's first two sessions as a leader (he would only lead two others during the next 20 years) are combined on this reissue CD. A fine boppish player who mostly stuck to the middle register of his horn, Eardley would soon be joining Gerry Mulligan's group. He is heard on four selections heading a quartet with pianist Pete Jolly (who was just starting his career), bassist Red Mitchell, and drummer Larry Bunker, and on four other numbers with tenor saxophonist J.R. Monterose, pianist George Syran, bassist Teddy Kotick, and drummer Nick Stabulas. The music (five originals and three standards) is essentially cool-toned bop and was quite modern for the period. *Scott Yanow*

Great early work from trumpeter Jon Eardley — captured here at a point when he was a budding young modernist in the 50s! The album features 2 early 10" LPs — Jon Eardley in Hollywood and Hey There Jon Eardley — both recorded for Prestige within a few months in the mid 50s. The first date features Eardley's trumpet right out front in the mix — hard, spare, and a bit angular — with backing from the piano of Pete Jolly, as well as Red Mitchell on bass and Larry Bunker on drums. Titles include "Late Leader", "Indian Spring", "Black", and "Gloss". The second session is even more interesting, as it features Eardley's horn in tandem with tenor saxophonist J. R. Monterose, brimming with new ideas at this point in his career, and adding a real edge to the tracks. The remaining players include George Syran on piano, Teddy Kotick on bass, and Nick Stabulas on drums — and titles include "Hey There", "Sid's Delight", "Demanton", and "If You Could See Me Now". *dustygroove.com*

1 - Late Leader

(Jon Eardley)

2 - Indian Spring

(Jon Eardley)

3 - Black

(Jon Eardley)

4 - Gloss

(Jon Eardley)

5 - Hey There

(Adler, Ross)

6 - Demanton

(Jon Eardley)

7 - Sid’s Delight

(Tadd Dameron)

8 - If You Could See Me Now

(Dameron, Sigman)

#1 to #4:

Jon Eardley Quartet (from Jon Eardley In Hollywood)

Jon Eardley (trumpet), Pete Jolly [as Pete Cera] (piano), Red Mitchell (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, December 15, 1954.

#5 to #8:

Jon Eardley Quintet (from Hey There, Jon Eardley!)

Jon Eardley (trumpet), J. R. Monterose (tenor sax), George Syran (piano), Teddy Kotick (bass), Nick Stabulas (drums).

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, March 14, 1955.