Rare And Obscure Argo Recordings (XXVI & XXVII)

 Barry Harris - Breakin' It Up

A hard to find early album by the great Detroit pianist Barry Harris! Barry's playing here in a trio with William Austin on bass and Frank Gant on drums, and the tracks have a definite boppish quality to them — more straight ahead than some of the flowing lines he brought to later work in the 70s and 80s — but still uniquely soulful, with a really strong sound for such a young player. Titles include bop standards like "Ornithology", "Passport", and "Allen's Alley" — plus Harris originals like "SRO" and "Bluesy" — and the album's got a nice, tight, soul jazz feel overall!

*Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Sonny Stitt - Burnin'

A great lost gem from Sonny Stitt — one of his most obscure sides for Argo, recorded with a no-nonsense quartet that included Barry Harris on piano, William Austin on bass, and Frank Gant on drums — all on the day after the trio worked together on Harris' Breakin It Up session for the label! There's a soulful quality to the rhythm section that takes Stitt way past bop — a relaxed groove from Harris that flows nicely into that confident, exploratory territory that we love so much on Stitt's Verve and Roost albums from the time. Sonny blows strongly on both alto and tenor sax — and titles include "It's Hipper Than That", "I'll Tell You Later", "Lover Man", and "A Minor Sax".

*Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Barry Harris Trio

Breakin' It Up

Barry Harris' debut Argo session captures a uniquely soulful interpretation of bop sensibilities. Light yet commanding, Breakin' It Up moves from strength to strength, belying the pianist's relative youth and inexperience. Paired with bassist William Austin and drummer Frank Gant, Harris dispenses with frills, paring familiar melodies like "Ornithology" and "All the Things You Are" to their absolute essentials. The overall approach is far more straight-ahead than his subsequent efforts, yet his signature melodic ingenuity is firmly in place. Breakin' It Up was reissued on CD by Jazz Beat in a two-fer alongside Burnin', recorded a day later under the leadership of saxophonist Sonny Stitt. *Jason Ankeny*

The current CD contains the two subsequent entries from Barry Harris' discography: the pianist's debut LP as a leader Breakin' It Up, and the album Burnin' featuring the same trio (Harris, Austin and Gant) backing Sonny Stitt in Chicago on August 1, 1958, the day after Breakin' It Up sesión! Burnin' marks the first recorded collaboration between Harris and Stitt.

The music throughout both recordings is impeccable, and their approximation in feeling, personnel, date, location and recording technique, give them a consistency that makes them sound more like one single studio sesión, than two separate dates.

Barry Harris has taught performed with many of the idiom's most celebrated musicians and has recorded some truly exquisite recordings, of wich these two albums are perfect examples.

*(from liner notes)*

1 - All The Things You Are

(Kern, Hammerstein)

2 - Ornithology

(C. Parker)

3 - Bluesy

(B. Harris)

4 - Passport

(C. Parker)

5 - Allen's Alley

(D. Best)

6 - Embraceable You

(G. and I. Gewrshwin)

7 - SRO

(B. Harris)

8 - Stranger In Paradise

(Wright, Forrest)

9 - Lover Man

(Davis, Sherman, Ramirez)

10 - Ko-Ko

(C. Parker)

11 - How High The Moon?

(Lewis, Hamilton)

12 - Easy Living

(Robin, Rainger)

13 - It's Hipper Than That

(S. Stitt)

14 - A Minor Sax

(S. Stitt)

15 - Reed And A Half

(S. Stitt)

16 - I'll Tell You Later

(S. Stitt)

17 - Look For The Silver Lining

(Kern, DeSylva)

#1 to #8: from the album Breakin' It Up (Argo LP 644)

Barry Harris (piano), Billy Austin (bass), Frank Gant (drums).

Recorded in Chicago, July 31, 1958

#9 to #17: from the album Burnin' (Argo LP 661)

Sonny Stitt (alto sax, tenor sax), Barry Harris (piano), Billy Austin (bass), Frank Gant (drums).

Recorded in Chicago, August 1, 1958

Sam Most... ★1957★

Sam Most Orchestra And Sextet

Sam Most Plays Bird, Bud, Monk And Miles

It's a fairly safe guess that in years to come the names of Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Theolonius Monk and Miles Davis will induce a reverential ring for that generation just as Emmett Hardy, Buddy Bolden and Joe "King" Oliver do in ours. The twin advantages that our latter-day saints have on their predecessors are the improvements in recording techniques and the interest of men like Sam Most in perpetuating their memory.

It may seem strange to speak of glorification of men who, with one exception, are still an integral part of the creative music mold. The fact is, however, that we are some 17 years into the neo-Minton's era which, relatively speaking, calls for a second look at some of its extraordinary contributors.

In the slightly more than two years since his death, the name and accomplishments of Charlie "Bird" Parker have become almost Bunyanesque. Not only his revolutionary alto playing, which has become an indisputable standard for today's neophytes, but his brilliantly conceived riffs and melodies which are guaranteed immortality. "Bird" had "a way with a tune" that continues to astound the most seasoned jazz fan.

To greater or lesser extents, this same is true of Bud Powell and Theolonius Monk who have thoroughly altered the concept of jazz piano; and of Miles Davis whose style of introverted trumpeting has been sheer delight for more than a decade. As a by-product of their collective talents, these men have fashioned some of the most refreshingly original jazz lines ever heard.

As a musician, Sam Most is ever alert to the need of broadening the vistas of jazz. Hitting. upon the format of this LP, he resolved to present two compositions by each man in totally different settings. Half the LP is given to a big band with many soloists; the rest is a small, intimate group which so readily lends itself to the spontaneity of jazz.

Selecting an arranger for the big band sides was of paramount importance in the preparation of this LP. Most felt that the sextet items would run off by themselves with Little difficulty, but the 16-piece aggregation needed the skill of a man who fully understood the nature of the compositions and the musicians engaged to perform them. 

Thus Bob Dorough was selected, not alone to pen the charts, but to act as pianist/conductor for the sessions. In this capacity, he literally ran the show, and the vitality of these sides is the direct result of his sound musicianship.

⁂

In retrospect, this disc offers a permanency beyond the musical gems captured thereon. With the assistance of other musical minds and talents, Sam Most has completed a dedicatory volumen which chronicles for posterity some of the major jazz contributions of our era. Your approbation is the final chapter. *Joe Quinn (liner notes)*

Sam Most in two wonderful settings — a large group on half the record, then a smaller combo with David Schildkraut on tenor, Bob Dorough on piano, and Tommy Potter on bass! Sam plays clarinet throughout, but uses some of the phrasing he'd be more likely to employ with a saxophone — a practice that makes the album a great showcase for Most's really unique talents on his instrument. And although the title might make you think the whole thing's a bop rehash record, the arrangements are pretty darn inventive — and really help bring new life into tunes that include "Serpent's Tooth", "Celia", "Bluebird", "Strictly Confidential", and "In Walked Bud" — especially from Sam's solos, and the trumpet work of Doug Mettome. *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Strictly Confidential

(Bud Powell)

2 - Half Nelson

(Miles Davis)

3 - 'Round Midnight

(Hanighen, Monk, Williams)

4 - In Walked Bud

(Thelonious Monk)

5 - Serpent's Tooth

(Miles Davis)

6 - Celia

(Bud Powell)

7 - Confirmation

(Charlie Parker)

8 - Bluebird

(Charlie Parker)

Sam Most Orchestra: (#1, #3 , #5, #8):

Chuck Harmon, Ed Reider, Doug Mettome, Al Stewart, Don Stratton (trumpets); 

Jim Dahl, Bill Elton, Frank Rehak (trombones); Sam Most (clarinet);

Dick Meldonian, Dave Schildkraut (alto saxes); Ed Wasserman (tenor sax);

Marty Flax (baritone sax); Bob Dorough (piano); Oscar Pettiford (bass); Paul Motian (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 6, 1957

Sam Most Sextet (#2, #4, #6, #7):

Doug Mettome (trumpet), Sam Most (clarinet), Dave Schildkraut (alto sax),

Bob Dorough (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), Paul Motian (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 7, 1957

Sam Most... ★1956★

Sam Most Quartet

Musically Yours

A reputation as a jazz instrumentalist represents the cumulativa efforts of years of intense study and trainning, and the diligent application of time and talent toward perfection. Most musicians have a  working knowledge of the other horn, but for success as soloists they usually concentrate on the mechanics of one instrument best suited to the interpretations of their creative thoughts.

This rule-of-thumb doesn't apply to Sam most. This multi-talented young man has a flair for anything musical, and because he has proven himself equally at home on flute or clarinet it necessitated dividing this LP between the two instrume.nts to display Sam's talent appropriately. Admittedly, his flute improvisation is an outgrowth of his clarinet skill, but he has demonstrated such facility with this newly found jazz voice that he must be ranked among the handful of reed men who are its exponents.

⁂

If your taste in reedy jazz runs to flute and/or clarinet, you have what the doctor ordered right in your hands. The inventive mind of Sam Most, in company with Bob Dorough, Bill Crow and Joe Morello, has produced a rewarding session that is your to enjoy so long as records and turntables still exist.

*Joe Quinn (liner notes)

One of the loosest, most relaxed albums ever from flute man Sam Most — cut with a cool quartet that also features Bob Dorough on piano, Bill Crow on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! The inventive touches of all the rhythm players are really felt strongly — creating these modern moments that really have Sam stretching out on his instrument, and moving it way past any cliches of a few years before. Most handles flute on almost all the tracks, but also throws in some great clarinet as well — with archly-crafted solos that really swing, but with kind of an arch modernist tone — in the manner of some of Jimmy Giuffre's best rhythm-bound work of the 50s. Titles include "Obvious Conclusion", "Stella By Starlight", "Two For Three", and "House Of Bread Blues".

 *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Stella By Starlight

(Young, Washington)

2 - Hush-A-Bye

(Seelen, Fain)

3 - Obvious Conclusion

(Most)

4 - Autumn Leaves

(Kosma, Mercer)

5 - If I Had You

(Shapiro, Connelly)

6 - Body And Soul

(Green, Heyman, Sour, Eyton)

7 - House Of Bread Blues

(Most)

8 - Two For Three

(Most)

Sam Most (flute, clarinet), Bob Dorough (piano), Bill Crow (bass), Joe Morello (drums).

Recorded in New York City, July, 1956

Sam Most... ★1955★

Sam Most

I'm Nuts About The Most.... Sam That Is!

East Coast Jazz N°9

Here is a modern group with its own sound playing familiar standards. Sam Most had a definitive purpose in mind when he decided upon the clarinet or flute, guitar, baritone sax, and rhythm combination. The result of this wedding is a fresh, sometimes fragile, yet cohesive sound that is modern without being, in the contemporary sense, "far out". It's an easy-to-listen-to sound that could not be offensive even if it were the neophyte's first contact with modern jazz.

*Creed Taylor (liner notes)*

⁂

Just sit back, relax and listen to the inventiveness of each soloist, whose appearance on each piece is varied. We think you will hear jazz improvisation at it best! I would like to express my gratitude to all the musicians who helped make this album for their exellent cooperation and sensitive work. Each one, I'm sure, is well know to every ardent modern jazz admirer. *Sam Most (liner notes)*

Sweet flute work from the great Sam Most — a player who really shone brightly during his 50s recordings for Bethlehem Records — of which this is one of the best! Sam's got a mean, lean quality to his solos — a mode that rivals that of Frank Wess on the instrument at the time, and may well beat Herbie Mann — able to step lively on more boppish numbers, but step back into these soulful lines at just the right moments. The rest of the group has a tight feel too — modern, but a bit playful too — with Marty Flax on baritone, Barry Galbraith on guitar, Billy Triglia on piano, and Oscar Pettiford on bass. Titles include "Deed I Do", "Broadway", "Smiles", "Don't Worry Bout Me", "How Deep Is The Ocean", and "Tea For Two".  *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Cherokee

(Noble)

2 - Don't Worry 'Bout Me

(Koehler, Bloom)

3 - What A Difference A Day Made

(Grever, Adams)

4 - How Deep Is The Ocean

(Berlin)

5 - Falling In Love With Love

(Rodgers, Hart)

6 - Rose Room

(Williams, Hickman)

7 - Smiles

(Chaplin, Turner, Parsons)

8 - Broadway

(Woode, McRae, Bird)

9 - Tea For Two

(Caesar, Youmans)

10 - 'Deed I Do

(Hirsch, Rose)

Sam Most (flute, clarinet); Marty Flax (baritone sax); 

Barry Galbraith (guitar); Billy Triglia (piano);

Burgher Jones [#1 to #4,  #8], Oscar Pettiford [#5 to #7, #9, #10] (basses);

Bobby Donaldson [#1 to #4,  #8], Osie Johnson [#5 to #7, #9, #10] (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 29 (#1 to #4,  #8),

and between March/April (#5 to #7, #9, #10), 1955

Sam Most... ★1952 • 1954★

 Sam Most (1930-2003) was born in Atlantic City, NJ, and began making a name for himself in nearby New York City, where his family moved when he was four years old. Sam played several instruments, including piano, saxophone, clarinet, and flute. It was with the last two that he earned a reputation as a trendsetter among modern jazz musicians, and it is these two instruments that are featured here.

Sam's earliest influence and inspiration came from his brother Abe, ten years his senior, who was the star clarinetist in the bands of Les Brown and Tommy Dorsey. At 20, Sam briefly played also with Dorsey, and later with the bands of Shep Fields, Boyd Raeburn, and Don Redman. However, his main claim to fame was the stellar work he did with his own modern groups, where his distinctive clarinet style (notably focusing on the instrument's higher register) and his remarkable agility on the flute blended so superbly.

In the summer of 1952, Sam truly came into his own when he recorded the flute feature "Undercurrent Blues". At the time, jazz flute was little more than a novelty, rarely featured in recordings or performances in the modern bebop style. "Undercurrent Blues" showcased the instrument's potential in a fresh way and, while not a major hit, it caught the attention of many musicians, establishing Sam as the first modern jazz flutist.

Herbie Mann, the first jazz flutist to achieve widespread popularity, once said, "When I started playing jazz on flute, there was only one record out: Sam Most's Undercurrent Blues".

Sam's emergence on the jazz scene was further recognized in 1954 when he won the New Star clarinet division in the Down Beat Critics' Poll.

This CD set brings together, for the first time, Sam Most's earliest recordings as the leader of his sextets from 1952 to 1954. *Jordi Pujol*

Sam Most Sextettes 

Undercurrent Blues

Prestige, Debut And Vanguard Sessions

When LA was truly "La La Land"

Jazz musicians had it nice in LA in the 1950s and 60s, making good money playing in the studios for movies and TV shows and then hitting the clubs at night for hip gigs. And they could all afford to buy a house in the suburbs! What could go wrong?!?

Here is a Fresh Sound Records reissue that prove jazzers didn't have to suffer to be creative.

Playing flute and clarinet, Sam Most made a nice career as a studio stud, still finding time to put out an impressive number of his own albums. These sessions from 1952-54 (ironically recorded in NYC) start with Most with Doug Mttone/tp, Chuck Wayne/g, Dick Hyman/p, Clyde Lombardi/b and Jackie Moffett/dr with the leader's flute sublime on "Undercurrent Blues" and his clarinet bouncy on "Taking A Chance On Love". A larger band brings in Urbie Green/tb, Bob Dorough/p, Percy Heath/b, Mettome/tp and L ouie Bellson/dr for a classy take of "Scroobydoo" and classical "I Hear A Rhapsody". The band further expand with some charts by Quincy Jones on a hip "Skippy" and suave "Open House" with Jones' own "Blues Junction" a nice showcase for Most's licorice stick. Woodwind wonders.

When it was hep to be hip! *George W. Harris*

1 - Undercurrent Blues

(Sam Most)

2 - First With The Most

(Sam Most)

3 - Sometimes I’m Happy

(Youmans, Caesar, Grey)

4 - Takin' A Chance On Love

(V.Duke, J. La Touche)

5 - Scrooby Doo

(Bob Dorough)

6 - I Hear A Rhapsody

(Fragos, Baker, Gasparre)

7 - The Night, We Called It A Day

(M. Dennis, T. Adair)

8 - A Cuss Called Coss

(Sam Most)

9 - Eullalia

(Bob Dorough)

10 - There Will Never Be Another You

(Carl O. Begner)

11 - Notes To You

(Sam Most)

12 - Skippy

(Ronnie Woellmer)

13 - Blues Junction

(Quincy Jones)

14 - Just Tutshen

(Sam Most)

15 - My OId Flame

(Johnson, Coslow)

16 - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

(Cole Porter)

17 - Open House

(Ronnie Woellmer)

18 - Give Me The Simply Live

(R. Bloom, H. Ruby)

19 - Everything Happens To Me

(M. Dennis, T. Adair)

#1 to #4: from the album Introducing a New Star: Sam Most (Prestige EP-1322)

Doug Mettome (trumpet), Sam Most (flute, clarinet), Chuck Wayne (guitar),

Dick Hyman (piano), Clyde Lombardi (bass), Jackie Moffett (drums).

Recorded in New York City, June 10, 1952

#5 to #10: from the album Sam Most Quartet Plus Two (Debut DLP-11)

#11: from album Hall of Fame (Design DLP 29)

Doug Mettome (trumpet), Urbie Green (trombone), Sam Most (flute, clarinet), 

Bob Dorough (piano), Percy Heath (bass), Louie Bellson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, December 29, 1953

#12 to #19: from the album Sam Most Sextet (Vanguard VRS-8014)

Sam Most (flute, clarinet), Marty Flax(baritone sax), Bill Triglia (piano), 

Barry Galbraith (guitar), Aaron Bell (bass), Bobby Donaldson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, December 3, 1954

Buddy Collette And His Trio

Buddy Collette

Calm, Cool & Collette

I left Chico Hamilton to form my own group. I have a quartet that’s been together for 3 months. The group started at the Haig in Los Angeles, the birthplace of many small bands. We had Don Freedman, piano, and Larry Bunker, drums; John Goodman, bass. Now we have Dick Shreve on piano and Bill Dolney, drums. John Goodman is still on Bass. The group is just great. We enjoy rehearsing and working out ideas together.

Dick Shreve is a wonderful writer and a great player. Although he’s not too well known, you’ll be hearing many outstanding things now and in the future from this great young pianist.

John Goodman. John Improves every time you hear him. His ideas are just great. He hasn’t been writing very long, but he seems to know what to write and he has a wonderful sense of time and rhythm pattern.

Bill Dolney. A real good drummer with good tastes, good time. He listens and blends with the group very well. He loves fast tempos.

I think of the quartet as one section. When I play Flute, I think of some Chamber Group or Woodwind Group. With tenor or alto, I still try to blend my rhythm section as though they were other horns. In this way we get a lot of variety for a quartet. We enjoyed making this album for ABC-Paramount very much because of the freedom we had. *Buddy Collette (liner notes)*

Quite possibly the rarest session ever cut by Buddy Collette — a quartet session with an unusual group that includes Dick Shreve on piano, John Goodman on bass, and Bill Dolney on drums — all players that get past the usual west coast crew that Buddy mostly recorded with! The format here builds on Colette's work with the Chico Hamilton group — and features a number of sprightly tracks with flute in the lead, and Hamilton-like support from the rest of the group. But then there's other numbers that have Buddy more out front on alto sax — blowing with a nice raspy edge and a bit more of a bop feel that's mighty nice. *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Collette's three originals in this LP are bright, swingy things. And his prowess as a soloist overshadows even his writing.

There is a gentleness and strength, in almost ideal combination, in Collette's tenor playing in which he seems to have evolved a style that does not lean too heavily on any of his precursors.

I continue to find his tenor solos his most interesting work. Although he has consistently recorded excellent clarinet solos, they do not seem to carry through the promise of their early days in Chico Hamilton's group.

He plays clarinet like a stronger Jimmy Giuffre, but this is not enough, for me at any rate. On alto there are moments when he is really eloquent; such a one is his solo on "Johnny Walks" in which he seems to me expressive beyond the ordinary as he logically develops a beautiful line.

The group as a whole is excellent. The rhythm section functions very well as individuals and as a unit. Shreve is a fine pianist in a gentle, reflective manner, and his own composition, "If She Had Stayed", is a particularly impressive jazz ballad which Collette plays with warmth and great feeling.

As has been the case with almost every album on which he plays, Collette is the main attraction. Even on flute, an instrument which has definite jazz limitations, he manages to get through with his message of beauty, taste, love and strength.

I continue to be impressed with the high degree of soul, or emotion, displayed in his solos. At a time when there is a definite danger of jazz degenerating into jungle music, Collette is a valuable antidote. * Ralph J. Gleason (Down Beat, May 30, 1957)*

Side 1

1 - Winston Walks

(John Goodman)

2 - If She Had Stayed

(Dick Shreve)

3 - They Can't Take That Away From You

(George and Ira Gershwin)

4 - Undecided

(Charlie Shavers, Sid Robin)

5. Flute In "D"

(Buddy Collette)

6 - The Continental

(Con Conrad, Herb Magidson)

Side 2

7 - Three And One

(Buddy Collette)

8 - Night In Tunisia

(Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Paparelli)

9 - Johnny Walks

(Buddy Collette)

10 - Perfidia

(Alberto Domínguez)

11 - Morning Jazz

(Dick Shreve)

Buddy Collette (tenor sax, alto sax, flute, clarinet), Dick Shreve (piano),

John Goodman (bass), Bill Dolney (drums).

Recorded at ABC Studios, Los Angeles, California, January 24, 1957

Lennie Niehaus Octet

Lenny Niehaus

I Swing For You

The jazz spotlight has gleamed brightly at one time or another on big bands, small groups and soloists of varied creative scope and authenticity. But, rather unaccountably, very little attention has been paid to what should be one of the most flexible and rewarding types of jazz ensemble — the middling-sized group which can work with the easy intimacy of a small combo when it wants to or juice itself up to big band proportions when that seems desirable. John Kirby's sextet had some suggestion of this quality in the 1930s although with only six men (and just one brass instrument in the lot) a valid big band sound was out of its reach. Count Basie came closer with the brilliant octet he led in the early Fifties, a group that could trip along as lightly as a greased marble or come charging in like an overstimulated troop of marines.

The neglect that this area has suffered can only be attributed to blindness, to a rather appalling lack of aware imagination for, as Lennie Niehaus clearly shows in this  album, there are an abundance of fascinating possibilities open to a flexibly two-faced middle-sized band. 

⁂

The Niehaus alto that is heard in this album may come as a surprise to those who recall the strongly Parker-touched tone of his playing on earlier disks. That has all been assimilated now and he is stretching out in more direct, less involved lines that bristle with basic jazz qualities. It is a significant step in his development as a strongly individual jazz voice. There is significance, too, in the kind of arranging he offers here for this, says Lennie, is the side of his talent on which he intends to concentrate in the immediate future. If he has his way, he'll stay put in Hollywood, spending most of his time writing, possibly playing weekends as he does now with Kenton, but not getting involved in taking out a group of his own. For the time being at least, what you hear on this record is the closest thing there will be to a Niehaus band. *(from liner notes)*

Lennie swings, but he keeps it cool too — as this rare Mercury set steps off of the same octet energy Niehaus brought to his better-known sides for Contemporary in the mid 50s! The players here are a bit lesser known than some of Niehaus' other all-star groups — with Ken Shroyer on trombone, Ed Leddy on trumpet, and Steve Perlow on baritone — alongside some nicely searing tenor from Bill Perkins, whose presence always makes a set like this sparkle! Lou Levy plays piano and Red Kelly is on bass — and titles include "Soon", "Little Girl Blues", "P & L", "Four Eleven West", "He Ain't Got Rhythm", "Kiss Me & Kill Me With Love", and "I See Your Face Before Me". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

A very swingy West-Coast middle band session, all participants from the Stan Kenton band.

Lennie Niehaus, another great player from the Kenton band, is very famous of his superior arrangements as well as very swingy improvised alto play. Although his Contemporary LPs are much famous as his leader sessions, this EmArcy session also sounds nice. Thrilling arrangements as well as nice improvisation by Kenton pals are all great. *microgroove.jp*

Side 1

1 - P & L

(Lennie Niehaus)

2 - I See Your Face Before Me

(Arthur Schwartz, Howard Dietz)

3 - Four Eleven West

(Benny Golson)

4 - Soon

(George and Ira Gershwin)

Side 2

5 - He Ain't Got Rhythm

(Irving Berlin)

6 - Kiss Me And Kill Me With Love

(Shapiro, Fain)

7 - Little Girl Blues

(Bill Perkins)

8 - Don't You Know I Care (Or Don't You Care To Know)

(Duke Ellington, Mack David)

Lennie Niehaus (alto sax), Ed Leddy (trumpet), Ken Shroyer (trombone, bass trumpet),

Bill Perkins (flute, tenor sax), Steve Perlow (baritone sax),

Lou Levy (piano), Red Kelly (bass), Jerry McKenzie (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, October 1, 1957

John Plonsky Quintet

John Plonsky Quintet

Cool Man Cool

John Plonsky was a journeyman trumpet player, composer and arranger from the West Coast who had recorded with Ray Bauduc and Nappy Lamare in the '40s, starting out in traditional and swing styles. He later switched to a more bop-oriented approach after coming to the East Coast with Alvy West's Little Band. This recording was only his third time in the studio during his career, and it was his first time as a leader. It would be his last. What happened to John Plonsky after this is unknown, at least to me.

There are several aspects to this record that make it stand out. The first is purely cosmetic: its decidedly unhip cover. An apotheosis of bad concept, design and execution, the album front has the band, looking tentative and uncomfortable, superimposed over a snowy background. These guys are cool, get it? Golden Crest, the album's label, is the outfit that produced all those bright red and yellow children's records that I remember from my youth. Clearly jazz was a stretch for them, despite the fact that they issued a number of good jazz LPs. Cool Man Cool made me laugh, and I laid out four bits for it at my radio station's music sale a few years ago.

The second standout feature of Cool Man Cool is the band's instrumentation. With an electric accordion and a baritone saxophone backing up the trumpet's lead, you'd think the sound would be quite annoying. But no – it is remarkably coherent and nuanced. Plonsky talks about how accordionist Dominic Cortese muffles his instrument to "eliminate the reedy sound". He does and the result is very interesting.

One additional note: Dizzy Gillespie recorded as a sideman for a vocalist back in the mid'-40s and, because he was under contract to Victor, used a pseudonym on the label. The name he chose? "John Plonsky". *David Dann*

This quintet under the direction of composer-arranger-trumpeter John Plonsky (born in 1926) offers an interesting listening experience in the smooth jazz style of Dave Pell butwith a twist, its unusual instrumentation composed of baritone, amplified accordion and trumpet with bass and drums. Recorded in 1957, Cool Man Cool was his only album as a leader, and it revealed Plonsky as a talented and imaginative soloist with a warmand open tone, who also managed to carry out extremely laborious ensemble work. All players are excellent in harmony, and the use of amplified accordion provides an orchestral texture to support the trumpet and baritone saxophone, adding much appreciated depth to the overall sound. Plonsky's five tastefully conceived originals plus the six fresh, well-arranged standards — two of theman excellent frame to showcase the talent and the vocal facets of singer Betty Ann Blake — do much to enhance the album's appeal. *Jordi Pujol*

Side 1

1 - Laurel And Hardy

(J. Plonsky)

2 - The Lady Is A Tramp

(R. Rodgers)

3 - But Not For Me

(G. Geershwin)

4 - Putting On The Ritz

(I. Berrlin)

5 - Just In Time

(J. Styne, B. Comden, A. Green)

Side 2

6 - Calico Shoes

(J. Plonsky)

7 - Angel Hair

(J. Plonsky)

8 - How About You?

(B. Lane, R. Freed)

9 - Funkier Than Thou

(J. Plonsky)

10 - I'll Take Romance

(Oakland)

11 - Blonde Caboose

(J. Plonsky)

John Plonsky (trumpet), Carl Janelli (baritone sax), Dominic Cortese (accordion),

Chet Amsterdam (bass), Mel Zelnick (drums), Betty Ann Blake (vocals [#3, #8]).

Recorded in New York City, March 5, 1957

Leonard Feather Presents… ★1959★

Leonard Feather Presents

One World Jazz

Through the miracles of modern recording science, fifteen of the world's leading jazzmen meet for the first time in this unique and exciting intercontinental jam session. Seven musicians in New York, four in Paris, three in London and one in Stockholm play together to make not only a scientific, but a musical point: Jazz Is An International Language.

⁂

Although there has never before been an album of this kind, its motivation and objective were logical and desirabie. For the first time in recording history, a group of leading American musicians has joined forces with some of the top artists in other countries for an international jam session, for release in monophonic and stereophonic sound.

The idea sprang from a conversation in the spring of 1959 with Irving Townsend. When I mentioned a projected business trip to Europe and suggested that there were several fine musicians in England and France who had been heard too rarely on records in the United States, we first discussed a plan to record a separate session in each country. Suddenly a more provocative concept emerged: why not, said Irving, record them together? 

Though obviously feasible, the suggestion ealled tor long-range planning. Nat Shapiro of Columbia’s international division started setting up contacts in London and Paris. Then the plan was extended when I suggested that the musicians would be offered a stimulating challenge if they could work in the company of Americans. For geographical or technical reasons, this had never before been possible. 

The device employed was simple. A seven-piece group was assembled in New York, and on the evening of May 19, 1959, we recorded the six tracks you hear in this album. But on that evening they sounded curiously different. There were long passages left open in which only the rhythm section played. Thus there would be no need for any awkward attempts to splice conflicting ideas, match tempos, coordinate rhythm sections at home and abroad; on the contrary, the foreign musicians would have the unprecedented opportunity to be supported by the kind of American rhythmic background with which they had often expressed a desire to work.

The musicians chosen for the New York session are all well known to the Europeans who were later to enjoy their company.

⁂

It may be apt to conclude with a remark made by Jo Jones when, after I had returned from Europe with the results of this undertaking safely boxed in, he listened to the tapes and heard the startling additions that had so radically aitered the original session.

"You know what you should do?" he said. "You should send a copy of this record to the United Nations. Why, this says more about people getting together, listening to each other and understanding one another, than all of eg over at the U.N. building could ever say!"

I hope Jo was right. *Leonard Feather (from liner notes)*

Years before Frank Sinatra sang his "over the phone" set of Duets in the mid 90s, Columbia tried a similar "not all there in the studio" approach with this album of jazz played by American and international artists selected for the project. Tapes were made in New York with a lot of space in between the main soloists. These tapes were then flown overseas, where players in three cities played on top of the tapes, dubbing in solos that sound like they were part of the group. A decent enough idea technologically, we guess — but why would anyone want to subject jazz to such conditions? European players include Ronnie Ross, Roger Guerin, Stephane Grappelly, Åke Persson and Roy East — and the tunes include "Big Ben's Blues", "International Blues", "Nuages", and "Cotton Tail". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - Cotton Tail

(Duke Ellington)

2 - Misty

(Burke, Garner)

3 - Big Ben's Blues

(Model)

Side 2

4 - International Blues

(Leonard Feather)

5 - Nuages

(Django Reinhardt)

6 - In A Mellow Tone

(Duke Ellington)

First session, (basic tape with spaces for additional sessions):

Clark Terry (trumpet), J.J. Johnson (trombone), Ben Webster (tenor sax),

Hank Jones (piano), Kenny Burrell (guitar), George Duvivier (bass), Jo Jones (drums).

Recorded in New York City, May 19, 1959

Second session, (additions to first session):

Roy East [#1, #3, #4, #6] (alto sax), George Chisholm (trombone),

Ronnie Ross [#3, #4, #6] (baritone sax).

Recorded in London, England, June 22, 1959

Third session, added:

Åke Persson [#4](trombone).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, June 30, 1959

Final session, (additions to the tape):

Roger Guerin (trumpet), Bob Garcia [#1] (tenor sax),

Martial Solal [#3, #4] (piano), / Stéphane Grappelli [#2, #4, #5] (violin).

Recorded in Paris, France, July 3, 1959

Leonard Feather Presents… ★1957★

There’s a Curious irony in the fact that of the thousands of jazz albums now flooding the record stores, this is the first LP to be released with bop as its main theme. The wheel has come full circle. Bop became an epithet by the end of the decade, the victim of keyhole columnists who identified it not with music but with eccentricities of clothes, personality and personal habits. Today we can examine the scene in truer perpective and observe that Bop is simply the way most people play jazz in 1959, including the "new star" awards winners in the Down Beat critics' poll.

Among the neglected elements in Bop were not people but tunes — some of the original and exciting compositions that emerged with the first of bop creativity. They were tunes you heard played along 52nd Street; tunes that spoke with a crisp, biting accent expressed in long, unison lines, leaving the harmonic moorings to the rhythm section. All the tunes you'll hear in this LP were products of the men and groups of that day, 'though only Ornithology has become a jazz standard. The others have rarely been re-recorded and a couple have been in oblivion for years.

The music on these sides evokes the atmosphere of a typical set at one of the old 52nd Street clubs, even to the fast two-chorus treatment of the "52nd Street Theme" that invariably ended every set.

To those for whom these performances represent long-overdues revivals, the music on this LP is bound to fill a gap in your collection. If your interest is minly in the instrumentalists, these sides represent an introduction to themes that belong in every jazz library. Either way they should provide a cogent reminder that the music we used to call bop, wich today is an important part of the whole jazz, endowed us with a wealth of material, of ideation and new creation that has a lasting place in the story of jazz. *Leonard Feather (liner notes)*

Leonard Feather Presents Bop 

[a.k.a. Leonard Feather Presents 52nd Street]

This pair of 1957 studio sessions features two separate groups, with alto saxophonist Phil Woods, pianist George Wallington, and bassist Curly Russell involved in both dates, with most of the music drawn from the works of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Trumpeter Idrees Sulieman and drummer Denzil Best join them on the first five selections. Wallington and Woods share the solo spotlight following the scatted group introduction to the pianist's "Lemon Drop" (one of many bop variations of "I Got Rhythm"), while Sulieman also gets a taste. Woods and Sulieman re-create the magic of Parker and Gillespie in a snappy take of "Ornithology". Sulieman switches to muted trumpet for an equally enjoyable take of "Anthropology". The quintet changes for the last five tracks, with Thad Jones on trumpet and Art Taylor on drums. It is not clear who contributed the little-boy vocal to "Salt Peanuts", but it does not distract from this potent arrangement. Taylor's effective drumming powers the cooking version of "Shaw 'Nuff". The next to last track is incorrectly listed as "Billie's Bounce"; it is actually "Now's the Time". Nothing groundbreaking takes place during these bop sessions, but the playing is at a consistently high level. This Mode LP has been reissued by VSOP and the Japanese CD label Tofrec, sometimes under the title Leonard Feather Presents Bop. *Ken Dryden*

1 - Little Benny

(Benny Harris)

2 - Be Bop

(Dizzy Gillespie)

3 - Lemon Drop

(George Wallington)

4 - Ornithology

(Charlie Parker, Benny Harris)

5 - Anthropology

(Charlie Parker)

6 - Salt Peanuts

(Dizzy Gillespie)

7 - Groovin' High

(Dizzy Gillespie)

8 - Shaw' Nuff

(Dizzy Gillespie)

9 - Billie's Bounce

(Charlie Parker)

10 - Hot House / 52nd Street Theme

(Tadd Dameron / Thelonious Monk)

Idrees Sulieman [#1 to #5], Thad Jones [#6 to #10] (trumpets);

Phil Woods (alto sax); George Wallington (piano); Curly Russell (bass);

Denzil Best [#1 to #5], Art Taylor  [#6 to #10] (drums).

Recorded in New York City, August 1957

Leonard Feather Presents… ★1956 • 1958★

 In the late 1950s, Leonard Feather (1914-1994), a jazz historian and critic, and occasional composer, and pianist and bandleader Dick Hyman (1927) had an influence on American jazz that bordered on mastery.

The two men owed their success to their almost encyclopedic knowledge of all the successive styles, from the beginning. Thus they formed an all-star group bringing together the cream of East Coast musicians, at a time when cool jazz was flourishing in California.

This album brings together three sessions recorded between 1956 and 1958 by a brilliant ensemble, capable of showcasing inspired soloists, served by Dick Hyman's subtle and effective arrangements. The latter, who also wrote several compositions with Feather, is the cornerstone of groups propelled by rhythms of astonishing flexibility. As for the value of the soloists, a single glance at the composition of these combos is enough to get an idea. Virtuosity and inspiration are the order of the day, not to mention the audacity and innovations, both on the melodic and rhythmic levels. Finally, it is necessary to underline the relevance of a booklet which provides a most complete insight into the whole. *Jacques Aboucaya*

Leonard Feather & Dick Hyman

East Coast All Stars

This musical journey features four captivating East Coast All Stars jazz ensembles, guided in collaboration by the talented Leonard Feather and Dick Hyman, who, through their compositions and arrangements, present a diverse repertoire brimming with stimulating solos.

The first session highlights a six-piece unit, boasting a front line drawn entirely from the Count Basie band: Thad Jones, Benny Powell, and Frank Wess. From the rhythmic vitality of "The Goof 'n' I" to the refined elegance of "Beverly Hills" and the timeless charm of "The Sidewalks of New York", each track exemplifies the ensemble’s cohesion and the creativity of soloists.

Delving into the Hi-Fi Suite, Feather and Hyman lead two nine-piece orchestras on a sonic exploration. With contributions from Joe Newman, Jerome Richardson, Benny Powell, and Don  Elliot, the orchestrations offer a captivating blend of textures and tones, with various reed instruments providing a fascinating display of soundscapes, from the inventive "Feedback Fugue" to the lively "Squawker" and the flavorful "Hi-Fi Pie".

The subsequent line-up showcases the rhythmic intricacies of "Bass-Reflex", the melodic allure of "Tweeter", the resonant depths of "Woofer", and the ethereal beauty of "Reverberation". Here, Thad Jones, Benny Powell, Oscar Pettiford, Jerome Richardson, Frank Wess, and Bill Barber deliver compelling solo performances.

Concluding this set, the fourth All Stars band presents a dynamic rendition of Jay Livingston’s "Keep It Simple", arranged by Dick Hyman. Featuring all horns in a captivating six-minute workout, the ensemble's virtuosity shines through, offering a fitting conclusion to this exciting musical journey. *Jordi Pujol*

1 - The Goof 'n' I

(Al Cohn)

2 - Beverly Hills

(Leonard Feather)

3 - The Sidewalks Of New York

(Lawlor, Blake, P.D.)

4 - Here's Pete

(Pete Rugolo)

5 - Feedback Fugue

(Feather, Hyman)

6 - Squawker

(Leonard Feather)

7 - Hi-Fi Pie

(Leonard Feather)

8 - Bass-Reflex

(blues in 5/4, P.D.)

9 - Tweeter

(Feather, Hyman)

10 - Woofer

(Feather, Hyman)

11 - Reverberation

(Feather, Hyman)

12 - Keep It Simple

(Livingston, Evans)

#1 to #4: from the album West Coast Vs. East Coast (MGM Records E3390)

Thad Jones (trumpet), Benny Powell (trombone), Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute),

Dick Hyman (piano, organ), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 1956

#5 to #11, from the album Hi Fi Suite (MGM Records E3494)

#5 to #7: 

Joe Newman (trumpet), Benny Powell (trombone), Jerome Richardson (alto sax, piccolo), 

Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute), Romeo Penque (baritone sax, clarinet), Dick Hyman (piano),

Oscar Pettiford (bass), Osie Johnson (drums), Don Elliott (vibes, miscellaneous percussion).

Recorded in New York City, June 16, 1956

#8 to #11:

Thad Jones (trumpet), Benny Powell (trombone), Bill Barber (tuba [except on #8]),

Jerome Richardson (alto sax, piccolo), Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute),

Phil Bodner (baritone sax, oboe), Dick Hyman (piano),

Oscar Pettiford (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded in New York City, July 11, 1956

#12: from the album Oh, Captain! (MGM Records E3650)

Art Farmer (trumpet), Jimmy Cleveland (trombone), Sahib Shihab (alto sax, baritone sax),

Tony Scott (clarinet, baritone sax), Jerome Richardson (tenor sax, baritone sax, alto flute),

Dick Hyman (piano), Milt Hinton (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, February 14, 1958

Leonard Feather Presents… ★1954★

Jimmy Raney, Sonny Clark and Jazz Club U.S.A.

Jimmy Raney (August 20, 1927 – May 9, 1995) was an American jazz guitarist born in Louisville, Kentucky, known for his work from 1951 to 1952 and then from 1953 to 1954 with the Red Norvo trio (replacing Tal Farlow) and, during the same time period, with Stan Getz. In 1954 and 1955, he won the Down Beat Critics' Poll for guitar. Raney worked in a variety of jazz mediums, including cool jazz, bebop, post bop, hard bop, and mainstream jazz.

In 1946, he worked for a time as guitarist with the Max Miller Quartet at Elmer's in Chicago, his first paying gig. Raney also worked in the Artie Shaw Orchestra and collaborated with Woody Herman for nine months in 1948. He also collaborated and recorded with Buddy DeFranco, Al Haig and later on with Bob Brookmeyer. In 1967, alcoholism and other professional difficulties led him to leave New York City and return to his native Louisville. He resurfaced in the 1970s and also did work with his son Doug, who was also a guitarist. His other son Jon is a jazz pianist and maintains a website, The Raney Legacy devoted to Jimmy and Doug Raney.

Raney lived with Ménière's disease for thirty years, a degenerative condition that led to near deafness in both ears, although this did not stop him from playing. He died of heart failure in Louisville on May 10, 1995. His obituary in The New York Times called him "one of the most gifted and influential postwar jazz guitarists in the world".

Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom.

Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of Pittsburgh. 

While visiting an aunt in California at age 20, Clark decided to stay and began working with saxophonist Wardell Gray. Clark went to San Francisco with Oscar Pettiford and after a couple months, was working with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco in 1953. Clark toured the United States and Europe with DeFranco until January 1956, when he joined The Lighthouse All-Stars, led by bassist Howard Rumsey.

Wishing to return to the east coast, Clark served as accompanist for singer Dinah Washington in February 1957 in order to relocate to New York City. In New York, Clark was often requested as a sideman by many musicians, partly because of his rhythmic comping. He frequently recorded for Blue Note Records as one of their house musicians, playing as a sideman with many hard bop players.

Clark died in New York City on January 13, 1963 (aged 31). The official cause was listed as a heart attack, but the likely cause was a heroin overdose.

Jazz Club U.S.A. was a weekly radio program that aired from 1950 to 1952. Hosted by jazz critic and producer Leonard Feather, it aired on the U.S. government-sponsored Voice of America network. Jazz Club U.S.A. did a remarkable job of presenting all forms of jazz, from slave-era spirituals to bebop, from Dixieland to swing, all presented as American music.

In 1954, Feather turned the Jazz Club U.S.A. "brand" into a series of concerts in Europe. One of the featured performers was guitarist Jimmy Raney, then voted "number one guitarist" by the French publication "Jazz Hot".

Raney's presence in Europe was recorded on several recordings. The ones we will present here are Jimmy Raney and Sonny Clark meeting for the first and only time.

Let's remember them...

Jimmy Raney All Stars

Leonard Feather Presents

Jazz Club U.S.A. In Sweden

This 10" album features two Jimmy Raney quintets backed by some of the highlights of the Sweden jazz scene at the time. But what makes these sessions so famous is the appearance of Sonny Clark on Side 1. Clark only has a solo choir on each track, and the overall impression of these sessions is "melancholic, relaxed, mellow chamber jazz music".

Leonard Feather composed "Jumping For Jane". This brightly boppish piece has a neat arrangement in wich the tenor sax of Gösta Theselius sounds spry, and in his opening measures Clark gives surprising acnowledgement to Lennie Tristano. There is also room for a splendid agile guitar solo, beside contributions from Mitchell and Leighton.

Raney's clever and complex "Invention" was, according to Leonard Feather, recorded with very little trouble by a group of musicians who had never seen it before. An intrincate, ingenious line, it is notable for the close rapport between Raney and Theselius and a beautiful pithy piano passage by Sonny whose firm comping is a great foundation for Theselius and Raney. Jimmy is particularly mellow and melodic, showing us the attribute conveyed by the tittle. The flowing fours by Theselius and Raney are an early example of Bebop Esperanto. By 1954 this music was universal. *Mark Gardner*

Side 1

1 - Invention

(Jimmy Raney)

2 - Jumping For Jane

(LeonardFeather)

Side 2

3 - Indian Summer

(Victor Herbert)

4 - Darn That Dream

(Jimmy Van Heusen, Eddie DeLange)

Jimmy Raney (guitar), with

#1, #2:

Gösta Theselius (tenor sax), Sonny Clark (piano), Simon Brehm (bass #1),

Red Mitchell (bass #2), Elaine Leighton (drums).

#3, #4:

Putte Wickman (clarinet); Bengt Hallberg [as Bengt Halberg] (piano),

Red Mitchell (bass), Elaine Leighton (drums).

Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, January 13, 1954

✤✤

Jimmy Raney Quartet

Leonard Feather's Jazz Club U.S.A. Presents

Jimmy Raney Visits Paris

As part of Leonard Feather's "Jazz Club U.S.A". European tour in early 1954, guitarist Raney is presented in the fine company of pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Bobby White. The music on this date, as well as the recording quality, is superb for its time. Raney and Mitchell had worked together in Red Norvo's trio, while Clark and White were the rhythmic anchors in Buddy DeFranco's group. One can't help but compare the sensitive yet energetic approach that Raney and Clark have toward their respective instruments. Both musicians have a truly artful touch with very clear articulation, never sounding hurried or arbitrary, or getting in the other's way. There are some lovely quartet interpretations of standard tunes, plus a piano trio rendition of "Once In a While". Listen to Red Mitchell's bass take the melody on "You Go to My Head" supported by Clark and Raney's sympathetic comping. *Lee Bloom*

1 - Stella By Starlight

(Young, Washington)

2 - Pennies From Heaven

(Johnson, Burke)

3 - You Go To My Head

(Coots, Gillespie)

4 - Yesterdays

(Kern)

05 - There'll Never Be Another You

(Kern)

06 - Body And Soul

(Green)

07 - Once In A While

(Green, Edwards)

Sonny Clark (piano), Jimmy Raney (guitar), Red Mitchell (bass), Bobby White (drums).

Recorded in Paris, France, February 6, 1954

Leonard Feather Presents… ★1952 • 1954★

Hot Versus Cool

Have any of your friends ever bothered you with questions about the difference between Hot Jazz and Cool Jazz? Or Dixieland and Birdland? Traditional and Modern? Moldy Pig and Bop?

Whether you’re a square or already aware, you’ll find the performances in this album the perfect answer.

To point up the differences between these two sharply contrasted schools of jazz —long recognized by musicians but ignored or misunderstood by the public— two bands were assembled at Birdland, the famous Broadway jazz spot, and both were let loose on the same four tunes.

The Birdlanders, representing the cool jazz contingent, were playing on their home grounds, but to even things up we invited a bunch of Dixieland fans to be present at Birdland that night. As you'll hear from the applause on the records, there was no prejudice in the audience; they seemed equally enthused over beth groups.

Heading the modernist faction is John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie, a product of Cheraw, S.C., who rose in the mid-1940’s to become an international symbol of what was then known by the disarming name of bop, but has since evolved into acceptance as Cool Jazz.

Leading the Dixielanders is Jimmy McPartland, the amazingly youthful veteran whose horn was a highlight of 1927-8 recordings by pioneers like McKenzie & Condon’s Chicagoans, Ben Pollack’s orchestra, the Wolverines, and Benny Goodman’s first recording combo.

Whether your tastes in jazz run to the hot or cool, whether or not you can define Dixieland Jazz or Birdland Jazz in words, you’re bound to find something of major interest in the music on these records. And, incidentally, it ought to help settle a lot of arguments!

*Leonard Feather (liner notes)*

Cats Versus Chicks

Although the musicians on this unique session aimed at contrast rather than contest, comparison instead of competition, the fact remains that this is, in effect, a four-round fight for the terry-weight championship.

In one corner, from Detroit, Michigan, and from Terry Gibbs’ Quartet, weighing 105 pounds, wearing brown mallets and, no doubt, a terrycloth gown, we have Miss Terry Pollard, one of the youngest and swingingest new stars on the jazz scene.

In the other corner, from St. Louis, Mo. and from Duke Ellington’s Orchestra (plus previous experience with Count Basie and Charlie Barnet), weighing 185 pounds and blowing some of the most personal and delightful jazz trumpet around, we have the redoubtable Clark Terry.

The officials’ score cards read as follows:

Referee Leonard Feather gives round 1 to the cats, 2 and 4 to the chicks, round 3 even.

Nat Hentoff of Down Beat gives round 1 to the cats, 2 and 3 to the chicks, round 4 even.

Judge Barry Ulanov of Metronome (who insists he is no male chauvinist) gives all four rounds to the men. 

Result: a split decision in favor of the chicks. 

What is your verdict? *(from liner notes)*

Leonard Feather Presents

Hot Versus Cool

And

Cats Versus Chicks

Hot Versus Cool - A Battle Of Jazz

1 - How High The Moon

(Lewis, Hamilton)

2 - How High The Moon

(Lewis, Hamilton)

3 - Indiana

(Hanley, McDonald)

4 - Indiana

(Hanley, McDonald)

5 - Muskrat Ramble

(Kid Ory)

6 - Muskrat Ramble

(Kid Ory)

7 - Battle Of The Blues

(unknow)

8 - Battle Of The Blues

(unknow)

Cats Versus Chicks - A Jazz Battle Of The Sexes

9 - Cat Meets Chick

(Leonard Feather)

10 - Cat Meets Chick

(Leonard Feather)

11 - Mamblues

(Williams)

12 - Mamblues

(Williams)

13 - The Man I Love

(George and Ira Gershwin)

14 - The Man I Love

(George and Ira Gershwin)

15 - Anything You Can Do

(Irving Berlín)

#1, #8: Dizzy Gillespie's Cool Jazz Stars

Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet), Don Elliott (mellophone, trumpet), Dick Cary (trumpet added #8),

Buddy DeFranco (clarinet), Jimmy McPartland (clarinet added #8), Ray Abrams (tenor sax),

Ronnie Ball (piano), Al McKibbon (bass), Max Roach (drums)

#2, #4 [as Edmond Hall And The Hot Jazz Stars], #5, #7: Jimmy McPartland's Hot Jazz Stars

Jimmy McPartland (cornet), Vic Dickenson (trombone), Edmond Hall (clarinet),

Dick Cary (piano, trumpet), Jack Lesberg (bass), George Wettling (drums).

#3, #6: Buddy De Franco And The Cool Jazz Stars

Buddy DeFranco (clarinet), Don Elliott (mellophone), Ray Abrams (tenor sax),

Ronnie Ball (piano), Al McKibbon (bass), Max Roach (drums)

Recorded live at Birdland, New York City, November 24 1952

#9, #11, #14: Clark Terry And His Septet

Clark Terry (trumpet), Lucky Thompson (tenor sax), Urbie Green (trombone),

Horace Silver (piano), Tal Farlow (guitar), Percy Heath (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums).

#10, #12, #13: Terry Pollard And Her Septet

Terry Pollard (vibes), Norma Carson (trumpet), Beryl Booker (piano),

Mary Osborn (guitar), Bonnie Wetzel (bass), Elaine Leighton (drums), Corky Hecht (harp)

#15: Clark Terry And His Septet and Terry Pollard And Her Septet 

Recorded in New York City, June 2 1954