Paul Severson And Chuz Alfred

 

Paul Severson (1928-2007) was a well-schooled musician with symphony, studio, and traveling band experience. He began studying piano at the age of 5, in his home in Fargo, ND. At the age of 13, he switched to the trombone and never looked back. In 1951 he got a master's degree from Northwestern, and entered the world of big band sounds. He spent two years as first trombone with Ralph Marterie's band, followed by a stint with Hal McIntyre and a Stan Kenton concert tour in the fall of 1953. During the 1953-1954 season he was also first trombonist with the Chicago Civic symphony orchestra. For over two years he was a staff musician for CBS in Chicago. In 1956, he was assigned to record Midwest Jazz, the first in a series of Midwestern jazz albums for Chicago's Academy label. The session clearly captured the creativity of the group Paul put together with Kenny Soderbloom on tenor, Mel Schmidt on bass, and drummer Bob Tilles. Throughout these gently flowing tunes, Severson proved to be a warm, fluent trombonist, his writing was loose and conducive to swinging, and most of his compositions are engaging.

A native of Lancaster, Ohio, "Chuz" Alfred (1932-2018) came of a musical family entourage. Chuz became interested in music around sixth grade, when he began studying the clarinet. While studying at Ohio State University in August 1954, he organized his first professional group, called the Chuz Alfred Quartet. Even though he always considered himself a jazz man, because of the greater demand for the tenor sax in club work, he switched to tenor, and roughly seventy-five percent of his repertoire was in the Rhythm and Blues and Rock 'n' Roll fields. A year later they became a Quintet with Chuz on tenor; Ola Hanson, trombone; Chuck Lee, piano; and two younger newcomers to the group, Paul Holt, bass; and Jim Markham, drums. When Ozzie Cadena from Savoy Records asked Chuz to make a jazz album, Paul and Jim sat it out, figuring they'd better get more experience, and Cadena replaced them with two masters of their respective instruments, bassist Vinnie Burke, and drummer Kenny Clarke. In September 27, 1955, they recorded a long-playing album in a single session that was released early in 1956 under the title Jazz Young Blood and has become a true collector's item.

Paul Severson And Chuz Alfred

Rare And Obscure Jazz Albums

Spain-based label Fresh Sound Records shows that there are periods of Western Civilization when art is at a peak, and other times at a nadir. The mid 50s had such a surfeit of great sounds and bands that it was impossible to keep up with all of them. Thankfully, we have the chance to finally catch up with what really happened musically during the Eisenhower years on these pair of discs, each holding this rewarding yet obscure albums.

First up is a 1956 unit by trombonist Paul Severson with Kenny Soderbloom/tenor sax-baritone sax, Mel Schmidt/bass and Bob Tilles/drums. The team is California Cool with Soderbloom's tenor in vintage Stan Getz fashion on the easy swing of "Too Much" and Mulligan misty for his baritone work on "Gone With The Wind". Severson's brash glows on the warm "I Could Write A Book" and creates rich harmonies on the fun "One More Mambo", getting hipper than Dumbo on "I Only Have Eyes For You".

Tenorist Chuz Alfred sounds like a mix of Lester Young and Dexter Gordon on his quintet with proto bopping drummer Kenny Clarke, Ola Hanson/trombone, Chuck Lee/piano and Vinnie Burke/bass on a slick 1955 session. Alfred is long and tall as he saunters on "A Message From Home" and blueses up "Manta Wray". Alfred is in a Prez mood for a foggy "I Can't Get Started" and is nimble with Clark on "Chuz Duz". How did we miss these guys?

Both albums have wonderful liner notes giving lots of background information. You'll get started on a treasure hunt for more of the same by these guys. *George W. Harris*

1 - Too Much

(Paul Severson)

2 - Whee

(Paul Severson)

3 - Gone With The Wind

(Wrubel, Magidson)

4 - 11th Heaven

(Paul Severson)

5 - I Could Write A Book

(Rodgers, Hart)

6 - After You

(Paul Severson)

7 - One More Mambo

(Paul Severson)

8 - I Only Have Eyes For You

(Warren, Dubin)

9 - Who, Me?

(Paul Severson)

10 - Out Of Nowhere

(Johnny Green)

11 - Short Story

(Paul Severson)

12 - Robbin's Nest

(Jacquet, Thompson)

13 - Just Loafin'

(Paul Severson)

14 - Aren't You Glad You're You

(Van Heusen, Burke)

15 - A Message From Home

(P.D.)

16 - Manta Wray

(Chuz Alfred)

17 - I Can't Get Started

(Duke, Gershwin)

18 - Harlequin

(Alfred C. Lee)

19 - Love Comes To Mehitabel Brown

(Chuz Alfred)

20 - Chuz Duz

(Richard Cone)

#1 to #14: from the album Midwest Jazz (Academy MWJ-1)

Paul Severson (trombone), Kenny Soderbloom (tenor sax, baritone sax),

Mel Schmidt (bass), Bob Tilles (drums).

Recorded in Chicago, June 1956

#15 to #20: from album Jazz Young Blood (Savoy MG-12030)

Chuz Alfred (tenor sax), Ola Hanson (trombone),

Chuck Lee (piano), Vinnie Burke (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, September 27, 1955