•• Blow Hot | Blow Cool ••

Herbie Fields Sextet & The Melrose Avenue Conservatory Chamber Music Society

Blow Hot | Blow Cool

As the title of this album would indicate, you are in for both some hot and some cool moments. The fact that Herbie Fields and his Sextet have been appointed the group representing the hot side and The Melrose Avenue Conservatory Chamber Music Society has been appointed the cool propounders doesn't necessarily end there because for some happy reason Herbie Fields and his Sextet have some very cool moments, indeed, and the boys from Melrose, as you will notice, leap in a very warm manner.

Be Assured that there is not a battle of the bands planned or to be assumed here. This is no hot versus cool sound dual. Rather, it is more like a formula for getting things to just the right taste. This is one of those dates where you know (even if you don't know) that a lot of hard work has gone before...arranging work, scoring, or to make it sound easier, scratching out a chart, writing a few originals, thinking up new ways of saying old familiar things, selecting musicians with compatible ideas and compassion for one another and then hoping fervently that instruments, studios, musicians and their respective chops will all be in the best possible condition for the date.

Whatever came out of this date came through work and persistance and there were some experiments tried that paid off, as you will hear. The serious student of contemporary music, however, will find no revolutionary upset in the musical concept. But, at the same time, he shouldn't expect to get 'knocked out' or to hear a 'new sound' every time he puts the needle to the groove. It's impossible. But the groups here have assimilated some interesting sounds and provided quite a few pleasurable moments.

That can sometimes be more important than the other. *Al "Jazzbo" Collins (liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - No Word Blues

(Herbie Fields, Manny Albam)

2 - The Lady Is A Tramp

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

3 - Baltimore

(Herbie Fields, Manny Albam)

4 - Nutcraker Swing

(Herbie Fields, Manny Albam)

5 - St Louis Blues

(W. C. Handy)

6 - Makin' Whoopie

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

Side 2

7 - I'm Forever Counting Geigers

(Marty Paich)

8 - Id

(John Graas)

9 - Skip to My Loot

(Jack Montrose)

10 - Speak Easy

(Jack Montrose)

#1 to #4: 

Herbie Fields (clarinet); Billy Byers, Kai Winding, Eddie Bert, Bart Varsalona (trombones); Joe Black (piano); Rudy Cafaro (guitar); Peter Compo (bass); Harvey Lang [a.k.a. Guy Vivdros] (drums); Mercy Lutes [a.k.a.Marcella Galbraith] (vocal).

Recorded in New York City, September 14, 1954.

#5, #6: 

Herbie Fields (tenor sax); Nick Drago (trumpet); Joe Black (piano); Rudy Cafaro (guitar); Harvey Lang, Jr. (bass); Harvey Lang [a.k.a. Guy Vivdros] (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 1955.

#7, #10:

Stu Williamson (trumpet); Herb Geller [a.k.a. Bert Herbert] (alto sax); Jack Montrose, Buddy Collette (tenor saxes); Bob Gordon (baritone sax); Marty Paich (piano); Curtis Counce (bass); Chico Hamilton [a.k.a. Forest Hamilton] (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, March 17 (#7, #8) and March 18 (#9, #10), 1955.