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