Liberty Records • Jazz in Hollywood Series (V)

Hollywood Saxophone Quartet

Jazz In Hollywood

✤Liberty LJH 6005✤

For even the most avid and best-informed jazz aficionados, the music in this album may be a huge surprise — and reed players, too, will find much to astonish and delight. The Hollywood Saxophone Quartet was composed of four gifted studio saxophonists, who organized the unit mainly to play original music by contemporary composers with a rhythm section added. In a collection of beautifully played arrangements written by some superbly skilled craftsmen such as Lennie Niehaus, Marty Paich, Russ Garcia, and Jack Montrose, the shadings of tone these men achieve are incredibly delicate and profuse in their colorings. The sheer technical ability, ensemble work, rapport and execution is remarkable — and they swing all the way through. *Jordi Pujol*

As Charlie Emge's liner notes point out, the Hollywood saxophone quartet has suceceded in "creating a true ensemble, an ensemble comparable to that of the fine string quartets". This is not the sax ensemble work of the type that Paul Whiteman used to feature, or even Stan Kenton on Opus in Pastels. It is a collection of beautifully played arrangements that were written by some mighty skilled craftsmen, and which come much closer to the jazz idiom than previous efforts.

The saxes are Russ Cheever, soprano; Jack Dumont, alto; Morrie Crawford, tenor, and Bill Ulyate, barritone, and their rapport and execution is most remarkable.

But there is no room open for improvisation, and though the writing generally is interesting, only Marty Paich's Toccata makes the men extend themselves and presents them with a real challenge. Billy May's Cheek to Cheek contains some genuine humor, Russ Garcia's Commotions is worth hearing, and Lennie Niehaus' Make the Most shows some good construction, but perhaps it would have been wiser not to term this a jazz album. For judged on the basis of its musical creativity it could not merit more than three stars. If judged on sheer technical ability and ensemble work, it would get the full five. Thus the compromise rating. Recording quality is superb.

*Jack Tracy (Down Beat, November 30, 1955)*

The saxophone, from Weidoeft to Trumbauer to Parker, has been subject to widely varying conceptions by performers good and bad. As a result, it is difficult for both teachers and players to say to a student with conviction:

"This is the right (or wrong) way to play saxophone".

In the Hollywood Saxophone Quartet, one hears, in my opinion, the four instruments represented — straight soprano, alto, tenor and baritone — played in a manner that establishes a standard. Not only have its members established a standard for individual performance, but they have succeeded in creating a true ensemble, an ensemble comparable to that of the fine string quartets. It didn't happen over-night, nor by chance. The members of the quartet, all successful career musicians, formed the unit some years ago solely for the purpose of playing music for their own enjoyment and for those persons fortunate enough to hear them at private gatherings. 

⁂

Now that the word "jazz"’ has become more meaningless than ever — it was always the wrong word for the wrong music — I hesitate to use it in relation to the music offered in this album. However, for those who understand that "jazz" is an influence rather than something separate and apart from other forms of music — an influence present to a degree in most forms of contemporary musical expression — the music presented here by the Hollywood Saxophone Quartet could very well open a new world of musical enjoyment. *Charles Emge (liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - Toccata In F

(Paich)

2 - Nightcap

(Niehaus)

3 - New York City Ghost

(Victor Young, Peggy Lee)

4 - You Brought A New Kind Of Love

(Fain, Kahal, Norman)

5 - Autumn In New York

(Vernon Duke)

6 - There'll Never Be Another You

(Jacobs, Tinturin)

Side 2

7 - Mixed Commotions

(Russ Garcia)

8 - Cheek To Cheek

(Irving Berlin)

9 - Make The Most Of It

(Niehaus)

10 - Ghost Of A Chance

(Crosby, Washington, Young)

11 - All The Things You Are

(Kern, Hammerstein)

12 - Dancing On The Ceiling

(Rodgers, Hart)

Russ Cheever (soprano sax), Jack Dumont (alto sax), Morrie Crawford (tenor sax),

Bill Ulyate (baritone sax), Mike Rubin (bass), Dick Cornell (drums).

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California, September 8 and 14, 1955