Mulligan/Baker Quartet: Modern Jazz Emblem

Gerry Mulligan Quartet

Featuring Chet Baker

Mulligan's birthplace has been given as in many places. He was, however, born in a Catholic in Queens, New York, the fourth and youngest son of an industrial engineer. Before he was a year old his family had moved to Marion, Ohio, and when his schooling was over at the age of seventeen in Philadelphia, he had lived, in  addition, to New Jersey, Chicago, Kalamazoo, Detroit and Reading. His first instrument was a ukulele. He also took piano lessons which were terminated rather suddenly after an overly hesitant recital. Following this, he learned the ocarina family, then the clarinet, although he had asked his father for a trumpet. When, in 1944, Mulligan left school, where he had led several bands, he went to work as an arranger for Tommy Tucker, turning out in the three months that he stayed a trunkful of material, some of which is still in use. He spent the next six months or so as an arranger and sometime tenor saxophonist with Elliot Lawrence, joined George Paxton, and eventually, for a year, Gene Krupa. During the next few years, he worked as a freelance writer and sideman around New York, made his first recordings, with Brew Moore and George Wallington (he had just taken up the baritone saxophone seriously), had various rehearsal bands, which occasionally practiced in Central Park because no one had money for a studio, and, shortly after the Miles Davis date, hitchhiked, over a period of months, with waystops at Reading and Albuquerque, to Lost Angeles, where he stayed more or less permanently until recent move east. On the West Coast he wrote for Kenton, and worked marathon twelve-hour gigs on Saturdays and Sundays at the Lighthouse, Hermosa Beach. In 1951 he landed a Tuesday night job at the Haig in Los Angeles, where he did some experimenting with a trio composed of guitar, his instrument and drums. Then, almost inadvertently, after he had met Chet Baker, he hit upon the instrumentation of the quartet and was recorded by Richard Bock of Pacific Jazz, the cream of which can be heard in this twelve reissues, recorded between 1952-53, that make up this record.

*Whitney Balliett (from the liner notes)*

A prize collection of recordings from the Quartet's 1952-53 phase, when Chet Baker was still blowing with Mulligan. The combo made history with their fresh sound and engaging style, blazing a trail that many since have attempted to follow. The delicately balanced sonorities of baritone sax and trumpet in seemingly effortless contrapuntal play was a new aural kick for which modern jazz audiences still have sharp appetites. Mulligan's own compositions and arrangements provide the group with the most congenial framework in which to display their talents and personalities. A must for all modern collectors, unless they have previously gotten some of them released on EP. *Billboard, September 3, 1955*

A full LP that collects together earlier recordings by Mulligan — done in the years 1952 and 1953, with a quartet that features Chet Baker, and bass by either Carson Smith or Bob Whitlock, and drums by either Larry Bunker or Chico Hamilton. Both Mulligan and Baker recorded together a number of times after this, in a "reunion" style that hearkened back to the fame of these sides — but the originals are still the best, and feature a magical pairing of two gentle jazz talents in a laidback piano-less setting. Titles include "Frenesi", "Swinghouse", "I May Be Wrong", "Tea For Two", and "Jeru". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - Frenesi

(Dominguez, Whitcup)

2 - Nights At The Turntable

(Mulligan)

3 - Lullaby Of The Leaves

(Young, Patkere)

4 - Jeru

(Mulligan)

5 - Cherry

(Gillespie, Daniels)

6 - Swinghouse

(Mulligan)

Side 2

7 - I May Be Wrong

(De Lange, Van Heusen)

8 - Aren't You Glad You're You

(Burke, Van Heusen)

9 - I'm Beginning To See The Light

(Ellington , James, Hodges, George)

10 - The Nearness Of You

(Carmichael, Washington)

11 - Makin' Whoopee

(Kahn, Donaldson)

12 - Tea For Two / Gerry Mulligan Signing Off

(Youmans, Caesar / Mulligan)

#1, #2, #8:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax),

Bob Whitlock (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Recorded at Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, California, October 15 and 16, 1952

#3:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax),

Bob Whitlock (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Recorded at Phil Turetsky's House, Los Angeles, California, August 16, 1952

#4, #6:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax),

Carson Smith (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California, April 27, 1953

#5, #11:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax),

Carson Smith (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded at Gold Star Studios, Los Angeles, California, February 24, 1953

#7, #9, #10, #12:

Chet Baker (trumpet), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax),

Carson Smith (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California, April 29 and 30, 1953

Note: about "Gerry Mulligan Signing Off"

The short songs that jazz groups in the 1950s often played to close their live performances are called "theme songs", "vamp tunes" or more specifically "out-choruses" or "set closers". These were short, recognizable melodies or riffs to close a concert, often upbeat and punchy, leaving the audience on a high note. These themes became identifiers for the band.

The final theme used by Gerry Mulligan's 1952~1953 quartet to close their live performances was a brief, signature piece titled "Gerry Mulligan Signing Off". This short tune, lasting approximately 20 seconds, served as a distinctive outro, signaling the end of their sets. ["Outro" is short for "outroduction", the opposite of "intro" (introduction)]

Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd's Laboratory

One of the finest groups of the late 50s, the Jazz Lab was co-led by the inimitable horn players Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd. Although the group worked extensively from February to September of 1957 it broke up shortly after. However, all of their albums together have become jazz classics. 

Some of the group's creation and history can be read in the chapter "In the laboratory" of the book Rat Race Blues: The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce, co-authored by Noal Cohen and Michael Fitzgerald:

By the measure of recording activity, at least, Gryce's jazz career peaked in 1957. This would be his most productive period nor only as a leader, but as a sideman and writer on several recording sessions of high quality and great importance. It was at this time also that he would solidify his group conception of jazz, utilizing as a unifying element his series of recordings as co-leader of a quintet with Donald Byrd. And having entered the elite group of New York musicians capable of filling roles in a variety of settings, he was now getting sufficient work to ensure financial security.

A very important event occurred in early 1957 when Gryce and Donald Byrd decided to join forces and co-lead the Jazz Lab ensemble. Seven years Gryce's junior, Byrd (1932-2013) relocated from his native Detroit to New York permanently in 1955, and soon thereafter was ensconced in the jazz scene, working and recording with nearly all of the hard bop stalwarts including Jackie McLean, John Coltrane, George Wallington, Art Blakey, and Horace Silver. He shared with Gryce a formal musical training, having received a Bachelor of Music degree from Wayne State University in 1954. Byrd also studied in Paris with Nadia Boulanger (1963) and later became an educator, obtaining advanced degrees from Manhattan School of Music and Columbia University. At the time of his death [2013] he was teaching at Delaware State University as a distinguished artist-in-residence.

Fluent and lyrical, Byrd's style, like that of Art Farmer before him, fit beautifully with the conception of Gryce, spinning long, graceful lines in his solos. His facility at very fast tempi was notable, and in general his approach was somewhat more aggressive than that of Farmer, but not to the extent that it conflicted with or overshadowed that of Gryce. Furthermore, Byrd had an interest in writing and would contribute both originals and arrangements of standard tunes to the group's repertoire.

The name "Jazz Lab" might suggest an esoteric or academic approach to ensemble performance, but in reality the music the band offered was most accessible. It consisted of original compositions (many taken from Gryce's publishing company) and cleverly reworked standards. Blues were an important component of the repertoire. Gryce, who appeared to be the more dominant musical force of the two co-leaders, summed up the philosophy the band espoused: The Modern Jazz Quartet will come to a club or concert and play very soft subtle music, and then Blakey will come around like thunder. We're trying to do both, and a few other things he-sides. Insofar as I can generalize, our originals and arrangements concentrate on imaginative use of dynamics and very strong rhythmic and melodic lines. We try to both give the listener something of substance that he can feel and understand and also indicate to the oriented that we're trying to work in more challenging musical forms and to expand the language in other ways.

One advantage, we hope, of the varied nature of our library, which is now over a hundred originals and arrangements, is that in the course of a set, almost any listener can become fulfilled. If he doesn't dig one, he may well dig the next because it will often be considerably different. Several people write for us in addition to Donald Byrd, myself, and others within the group. We have scores by Benny Golson, Ray Bryant, and several more.

A point I'm eager to emphasize is that the title, Jazz Lab, isn't meant to connote that we're entirely experimental in direction. We try to explore-all aspects of modern jazz—standards, originals, blues, hard swing, anything that can be filled and transmuted with jazz feeling. Even our experimentations are quite practical; they're not exercises for their own sake. They have to communicate feeling. For example, if we use devices like counterpoint, we utilize them from inside jazz. We don't go into Bach, pick up an invention or an idea for one, and then come back into jazz. It all stays within jazz in feeling and rhythmic flow and syncopation. In any of our work in form, you don't get the feeling of a classical piece. This is one of the lessons I absorbed from Charlie Parker. I believe that one of the best — and still fresh — examples of jazz counterpoint is what Charlie did on "Chasing the Bird".

We want to show how deep the language is; in addition to working with new forms, we want to go back into the language, show the different ways the older material can be formed and re-formed. We want to have everything covered. My two favorite musicians among the younger players may give a further idea of what I believe. Sonny Rollins and Benny Golson are not playing the cliches, and they play as if they have listened with feeling and respect to the older men like Herschel Evans, Chu Berry, and Coleman Hawkins. They're not just hip, flashy moderns.

In its brief existence of barely a year, the Jazz Lab quintet utilized some of the finest rhythm section accompanists available: pianists Tommy Flanagan, Wynton Kelly, Hank Jones, and the underappreciated Wade Legge (1934-1963), a great talent who passed away at the age of only 29; bassists Wendell Marshall and Paul Chambers; and drummers Art Taylor and Osie Johnson. During this period, the Jazz Lab recorded for no fewer than five different labels, at thirteen sessions, producing a total of six LPs, all of which helped to establish a high standard for ensemble performance within the hard bop genre.

Donald Byrd • Gigi Gryce

The Complete Jazz Lab Sessions

This four-disc collection contains all of the recordings of one of the most interesting jazz groups from the late ‘50s, the Jazz Lab, compiled here for the first time ever on one release. Co-led by Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd, this set comprises the group’s five original studio albums (including all existing supplementary tunes and alternate takes from the sessions), presented here in their entirety and in chronological order. This edition also includes the Jazz Lab’s only known live performance, taped at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1957. As a bonus, a complete Oscar Pettiford LP, which constitutes the only other small group collaboration of Gryce and Byrd, and is a precursor to the Jazz Lab sound, as well as a rare 1955 Gigi Gryce quartet session (with Pettiford on bass) in its entirety, which despite having no real relation to the later Gryce-Byrd formation, was issued under the title of Jazz Laboratory Series (probably Gryce chose the group’s name based on that previous release!). *jazzmessengers.com*

Two front line horns plus a three-piece rhythm section were to hard bop what three guitars and drums were to rock ’n’ roll. The main obstacle for both has always been precisely how to set oneself apart from hordes of similar practitioners. An imaginative composer/arranger as well as a fiery alto sax player, Gigi Gryce put all his energies into setting himself apart from his contemporaries with his Jazz Lab enterprise, sharing top billing with Donald Byrd. Though a major player during the mid-1950s via his work with Brownie, Monk, Lee Morgan and Benny Golson, today Gryce is seldom mentioned in dispatches despite the fact that The Jazz Lab recorded prolifically during an eight-month period. Yet it was to be financial considerations (and lack of regular gigs) opposed to the quality of the product that caused the project to fold prematurely while their closest contemporaries such as The Jazz Messengers and Horace Silver’s Quintet valiantly soldiered on. The Jazz Lab came is all shapes and sizes. The 1957 nonet that taped "Nica’s Tempo", "I Remember Clifford" and "Little Niles"’ among others offers more than just a passing nod and a wink in the direction of both Miles’ Birth Of The Cool and Shorty Rogers’ Giants. However, it’s the five-handed line-up that featured either Hank Jones or Wynton Kelly that wins the day. *jazzwise.com*

This wonderful and well produced compilation is everything this little short lived band recorded. The band was only in existence in 1957 and should be recognized for it's importance to Jazz mainstream of the time. Byrd and Gryce were very distinctive players and Gryce's writing enhances the band's output.

All Music Guide's critic Arwulf Arwulf resumes the Jazz Lab Sessions with the following words:

All this group's music should be studied and sabores over long periods of time, even across decades spanning entire lifetimes. These recordings have matured remarkably well and should endure to be cherished by post-post-post-postmodern jazz heads of the distant future.

*CD  1*

1 - Nica's Tempo

(Gigi Gryce)

2 - Smoke Signal

(Gigi Gryce)

3 - Speculation

(Horace Silver)

4 - Over The Rainbow

(Harod Arlen, E. Y. Harburg)

5 - Sans Souci

(Gigi Gryce)

6 - I Remember Clifford

(Benny Golson)

7 - Little Niles

(Randy Weston)

8 - Blue Concept

(Gigi Gryce)

9 - Love For Sale

(Cole Porter)

10 - Geraldine

(Wade Legge)

11 - Minority

(Gigi Gryce)

12 - Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart

(James F. Hanley)

*CD 2*

1 - Straight Ahead

(Lee Sears)

2 - Wake Up!

(Lee Sears)

3 - Exhibit A

(Lee Sears)

4 - Ergo The Blues (take 2)

(Hank Jones)

5 - Ergo The Blues (take 3)

(Hank Jones)

6 - Capri

(Gigi Gryce)

7 - Splittin' (a.k.a. Ray's Way)

(Ray Bryant)

8 - Passade

(Hank Jones)

9 - Byrd In Hand

(Donald Byrd)

10 - Blue Lights

(Gigi Gryce)

11 - Onion Head

(Donald Byrd)

12 - Isn’t It Romantic?

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

*CD 3*

1 - Batland

(Gigi Gryce, Lee Sears)

2 - Bangoon

(Hank Jones)

3 - Imagination

(Jimmy Van Heusen, Johnny Burke)

4 - X-Tacy

(Donald Byrd)

5 - Satellite

(Gigi Gryce)

6 - An Evening In Casablanca

(Gigi Gryce)

7 - Social Call

(Gigi Gryce)

8 - Stablemates

(Benny Golson)

9 - Steppin' Out

(Gigi Gryce)

10 - Medley: Early Morning Blues / Now, Don't You Know

(Cy Coleman, Joe McCarthy)/(Lee Sears)

11 - Early Bird

(Donald Byrd)

12 - Elgy

(Donald Byrd)

13 - Oh Yeah!

(Duke Jordan)

*CD 4*

1 - Splittin' (a.k.a. Ray's Way)

(Ray Bryant)

2 - Batland

(Gigi Gryce, Lee Sears)

3 - Love For Sale

(Cole Porter)

4 - Kamman's A'Comin'

(Oscar Pettiford)

5  Minor 7th Heaven

(Osie Johnson)

6 - Stardust

(Hoagy Carmichael, Mitchell Parish)

7 - Bohemia After Dark

(Oscar Pettiford)

8 - Oscalypso

(Oscar Pettiford)

9 - Scorpio

(Mary Lou Williams)

10 - Titoro

(Billy Taylor)

11 - Don’t Squawk

(Oscar Pettiford)

12 - Another One

(Quincy Jones)

13 - Sometimes I'm Happy

(Vincent Youmans, Irving Caesar)

14 - Embraceable You

(George and Ira Gershhwin)

15 - Jordu

(Duke Jordan)

#1 to #8 (CD1): from the album

Jazz Lab (Columbia CL998)

#1, #2, #3

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax), Benny Powell (trombone),

Julius Watkins (french horn), Don Butterfield (tuba), Sahib Shihab (baritone sax),

Tommy Flanagan (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, February 4, 1957

#4, #5

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax),

Tommy Flanagan (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, February 5, 1957

#6, #7, #8

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax),

Benny Powell or Jimmy Cleveland [depending on the source] (trombone),

Julius Watkins (french horn), Don Butterfield (tuba), Sahib Shihab (baritone sax),

Wade Legge (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 13, 1957

#9 to #12 (CD1), and #1, #2 (CD2): from the album

Gigi Gryce and the Jazz Lab Quintet (Riverside 12-229)

#9 to #11 (CD1)

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax),

Wade Legge (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, February 27, 1957

#12 (CD1), #1, #2 (CD2)

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax),

Wade Legge (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 7, 1957

#3 to #9 (CD2): from the album

New Formulas from the Jazz Lab (RCA-Victor Jap RCA6015)

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax),

(Hank Jones (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, July 30 (#3, #4, #5), July 31 (#6, #7) and August 1 (#8, #9), 1957

#10 to #12 (CD2) and #1 to #4 (CD3):

from the album Jazz Lab (Jubilee JLP1059)

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax),

(Hank Jones (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, August 9, 1957

#5 to #12 (CD3): from the album

Modern Jazz Perspective (Columbia CL1058)

#5, #6, #7

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax),

Wynton Kelly (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, August 30, 1957

#8, #9

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax), Jimmy Cleveland (trombone),

Julius Watkins (french horn), Don Butterfield (tuba), Sahib Shihab (baritone sax),

Wynton Kelly (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, September 5, 1957

#10, #11, #12

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax), Wynton Kelly (piano),

Wendell Marshall (bass), Art Taylor (drums), Jackie Paris (vocal, banjo).

Recorded in New York City, September 3, 1957

#1 to #3 (CD4): from the album

Jazz Laboratory at Newport (Verve MGV8238)

Donald Byrd (trumpet), Gigi Gryce (alto sax),

Hank Jones (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival,

Freebody Park, Newport, Rhode Island, July 5, 1957

*Bonus Albums*

#4 to #12 (CD4): from the album

Oscar Pettiford (Bethlehem BCP33)

Donald Byrd, Ernie Royal (trumpets); Gigi Gryce (alto sax);

Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Jerome Richardson (flute, tenor sax);

Don Abney (piano); Oscar Pettiford (bass, cello); Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, August 12, 1955

#13 (CD3) and #13 to #15 (CD4): from the album

The Jazz Laboratory Series: Do It Yourself Jazz Vol.1 (Signal S101/Savoy MG12145)

Gigi Gryce (alto sax), Duke Jordan (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums):

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, March 7, 1955

Rare And Obscure Bob Harrington Albums

 A copy of Vibraphone Fantasy in Jazz by Bob Harrington on the Imperial label would represent a find of great importance in the used record pile, setting off shock waves through the vinyl icons. The side would be especially dear to fans of modern jazz vibraphone, yet Harrington himself would have been capable of delivering the sound of an entire rhythm section if necessary, not just good vibes. He was proficient as well on piano and drums, both related to the vibraphone on the instrumental family tree. Nonetheless, Harrington's finest playing may have been as part of a band after all, not just any band but the legendary Jazzpickers featuring cellist Harry Babasin.

Harrington experienced plenty of music in his family, as his father was a violinist. The son started to become known on the jazz scene in the early '50s as a pianist for bandleader Charlie Barnet; Harrington had also studied bass in high school. He performed and recorded through the decade with Georgie Auld, Buddy DeFranco, and Vido Musso, but when working with both Red Nichols and Bud Freeman in the mid-'50s was seated behind the drums. In the latter part of the '50s he could be heard as both an accompanist and arranger for vocalist Ann Richards as well as in a straight-out swing context with magnificent tenor saxophonist Ben Webster. Harrington continued recording through 1970. *Eugene Chadbourne*

Bob Harrington

Rare and Obscure Jazz Albums

Pianist, vibraphonist, composer, and arranger Bob Harrington (1912-1983) was a gifted yet underappreciated musician whose career spanned over four decades in the jazz scene. Despite working with legends like Vido Musso, Charlie Barnet, and Stan Kenton, he never gained widespread recognition, even though his melodic sensibility and instrumental versatility set him apart.

In 1957, Harrington recorded Vibraphone Fantasy In Jazz, his debut album as a leader, showcasing a modern, relaxed vibraphone style influenced by Red Norvo. Harrington's playing is melodic, demonstrating a keen awareness of the instrument's full capabilities. He brings vitality to up-tempo tunes and is equally adept at pausing for a meaningful ballad. A highlight of the album is the excellent guitar work of Jimmy Wyble, paired with the solid rhythmic foundation laid down by bassist Bob Carter and drummer Lloyd Morales.

A few years later, in 1961, he returned to the piano for Jazz À La Carte. On this new album, he brought a refreshing conception and skill, playing a collection of tunes with varied tempos, in a session again featuring guitarist Jimmy Wyble and Red Wooten on bass. Beyond his instrumental work, Harrington was also a sought-after vocal coach, mentoring renowned singers such as June Christy, Peggy Lee, and Ann Richards.

Throughout his career, he split his time between Los Angeles, Santa Fe, and Hawaii, performing in small clubs until his final days. Though his recorded output was limited, his music remains a testament to an artist of remarkable sensitivity and talent. *Jordi Pujol*

1 - Mountain Dew

(Bob Carter)

2 - Ticklish Situation

(Bob Harrington)

3 - Patio Pavanne

(Bob Harrington)

4 - I've Never Been In Love Before

(Bob Harrington)

5 - Let's Have Some Ribs

(Bob Harrington)

6 - Gone Nuclear Fishin'

(Bob Harrington)

7 - How Long Has This Been Going On?

(George and Ira Gershwin)

8 - Three-Fourths

(Bob Carter)

9 - Little Circumstances

(Bob Harrington)

10 - Indecision

(Bob Harrington)

11 - Wally Ballew

(Bob Harrington)

12 - Hulla Ballew

(Bob Harrington)

13 - Little Boy Ballew

(Bob Harrington)

14 - Ben Ballew

(Bob Harrington)

15 - Baby Ballew

(Bob Harrington)

16 - Emma Ballew

(Bob Harrington)

17 - Bob Ballew

(Bob Harrington)

18 - V.S. Ballew

(Bob Harrington)

 #1 to #10: from the LP Vibraphone Fantasy in Jazz (Imperial LP-90)

Bob Harrington (vibes), Jimmy Wyble (guitar), Bob Carter (bass), Lloyd Morales (drums).

Recorded at Bob Harrington's patio,

Mount Washington, Los Angeles, California, January, 1957

#11 to #18: from the LP Jazz À La Carte (Crown CLP 5388)

Bob Harrington (piano), Jimmy Wyble (guitar), 

Red Wooten (bass), John Markham or Lloyd Morales (drums [alternating]).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, 1961

Fresh Sound Records Note:

Although the front cover of the Imperial album Vibraphone Fantasy in Jazz states "Recorded in stereophonic sound"’ we want to clarify that the recording is monaural and a stereo release never existed. Regarding the Crown album Jazz à la Carte, both a mono version and a pseudo-stereophonic version were released, the latter artificially processed and further distorting the already poor and uneven sound quality. For this edition, we have chosen the mono version, as it provides a more balanced and pleasant listening experience.

Bernie Nerow (a.k.a. Peter Nero)

Peter Nero (born Bernard Nierow, 1934, Brooklyn) was a pianist and New York native who started with Paul Whiteman, then moved up to symphony until the early '60s, when RCA Victor signed him and successfully promoted him into a pop music interpreter. He won the 1961 Grammy for Best New Artist. His lush orchestrated albums continued through the early '70s, when he returned to a harder jazz format, recording with a trio.

Nierow began playing piano as child, learning the instrument quite rapidly; by the age of 11, he was playing Haydn concertos. However, he was restless and quickly grew tired of classical music, becoming infatuated with jazz as a teenager. In fact, after Nierow finished studying music at Brooklyn College, he became a jazz pianist. However, instead of playing straight jazz, he created a swinging hybrid of jazz and classical music.

Nero made his television debut at the age of 17, playing "Rhapsody in Blue" on a special hosted by Paul Whiteman. He recorded his first album under the name of Bernie Nerow in July 1957 on the Mode label (MOD-LP117), which shows his technical virtuosity in the jazz genre.

Nierow didn't have much success as a performer, which meant he had to take a gig as a saloon pianist in a New York club called the Hickory House. Unsatisfied with the comprimises he was making at the club, he headed out to Las Vegas, where he didn't find much success. He returned to New York, taking a lesser job at the Hickory House. For several years, he played New York's club circuit before he came to the attention of Stan Greeson, an executive at RCA Records. Convinced that Nierow had star potential, Greeson signed the pianist and had him change his name to Peter Nero.

In 1961 he won the Grammy for Best New Artist. Nero's popularity continued to rise throughout the early '60s; his jazzy hybrid of pop, classical, swing, and bop became one of the most popular mainstream sounds of the era. Eventually, he became the musical director of the Philadelphia Pops Orchestra, where he frequently performed classical arrangements of pop songs. In the '70s, he returned to playing jazz in trios, though he still made orchestral records occasionally. Peter Nero died on July 6, 2023; he was 89 yeatrs of age.

The popular pianist Peter Nero made his debut on this Mode LP under his original name, Bernie Nerow. This is one of the pianist's better jazz dates, an exploration of seven standards and two of his originals including the rather cute "Scratch My Bach". Bassist Max Wayne and drummer Dick Stein help out, and the results can be enjoyed by bop fans who would not normally think of buying Peter Nero records. *victrola.com*

 

One of the most obscure sessions for the legendary Mode label — a one-off date by The Bernie Nerow Trio — a group that was actually led by pianist Peter Nero, working here under a "nom de date"! The Nero sound here is much jazzier than on any of his more overblown pop instrumental sides from the time — a lightly leaping approach that still allows plenty of space for his strong command of the keys, yet which never succumbs to its own excesses. Rhythm is by the team of Max Wayne on bass and Dick Stein on drums — and the record's got a gentle warmth and easygoing feel that we like a heck of a lot! Titles include "Lullaby Of The Leaves", "Scratch My Bach", "Red's Romp", "Love For Sale", "How About You", and "Our Love Is Here To Stay". Second pressing of this album appeared on the Premier label under the name Peter Nero and with the title Just For You. *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Bernie Nerow 

Bernie Nerow Trio

The late Art Tatum probably never knew how convincing and far reaching his piano influences were. Every time he sat at a piano, he was shaping the jazz destiny of that instrument for the edification of the professional and non-professional alike. The majority of our contemporary jazz pianists acknowledge this fact, but for Bernie Nerow the exposure to Tatum altered his entire career. It's a singular tribute to Tatum's genius that Bernie's obvious talents have been channeled into jazz.

Born in Brooklyn during the era when Tatum himself was struggling for personal recognition, Bernie Nerow's musical childhood was as far removed from this influence as his teachers could manage. From the age of seven, right through high school and Brooklyn College, Bernie acquired a thoroughly academic background in classical piano techniques and the accepted theories of harmony and arranging. To all concerned, especially the young musician himself, there wasn't the slightest doubt that he would become a concert pianist.

In the beginning, the young prodigy's fascination for the Tatum innovations was tempered with restraint for, as in all matters of radical change, he found it difficult to absorb Tatum's finger breaking technique and his extraordinary inventiveness. Yet his cultured instincts reminded him that this was piano artistry of a superior type which he must pursue to balance his musical personality. This union of talent and inspiration gave birth to the Bernie Nerow trio. 

As a group the trio was scarcely an instantaneous success, and Bernie became a featured single, performing in such reputable jazz houses as Gotham's Hickory House and the Village Vanguard. Through association with band leader Nat Brandwyne he stepped into television and won five talent shows in a four month period, including Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. Despite these attainments, and a permanent spot on the Tex and Jinx show, his jazz fervor never dimmed so that when the chance came to work the lounge of a newly opened Las Vegas hotel, he reassembled the trio and headed west. This time the public stopped and listened.

The original Nerow trio with Bernie's piano, Max Wayne's bass and Dick Stein's drums gathered in a Hollywood recording studio to turn out their first release for any label. 

If Bernie Nerow's virile approach to piano shows genuine sincerity and dedication then the young man has accomplished his purpose in part. He is a strong advocate of uniting two independent schools of music, and has set about the task of making this union a reality. His initial recording is undeniable proof of his competency. *Joe Quinn (from the liner notes)*

1 - Scratch My Bach

(Bernie Nerow)

2 - Lullaby Of The Leaves

(Petkere, Young)

3 - It Might As Well Be Spring

(Rodgers, Hammerstein II)

4 - Our Love Is Here To Stay

(George and Ira Gershwin)

5 - Red's Romp

(Bernie Nerow)

6 - There'll Never Be Another You

(Gordon, Warren)

7 - Love For Sale

(Cole Porter)

8 - What Is This Thing Called Love

(Cole Porter)

9 - How About You

(Lane, Freed)

Bernie Nerow (piano), Max Wayne (bass), Dick Stein (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, July, 1957

Al Cohn and Shorty Rogers - Two Five Stars

This is the best Al Cohn LP I have ever heard and one of the best jazz LPs in recent months. As a free-blowing session it has everything, and its appeal should be equally strong for those oriented ins wing as well as in modern jazz. Do not miss it.

The rhythm section is a perfect, pulsating, prime mover, with a grace and taste that is utterly delightful. Both Cohn and Rehak get ample opportunity to blow freely and both make the most of it. Whatever that indefinable (in words) quality is that we refer to as "soul" and "wailing" can be precisely demonstrated by Cohn's performance on this album. Both on his own compositions and on the attractive set of standards and ballads that comprise the different tracks, Cohn gets a remarkable amount of emotional charge into every one of his solos.

"Blue Lou" and "Old Blues" in particular ("We Three", too, for that matter) have that combination of urgency and relaxation that is undeniable in jazz. You can't wander from this album when you play it. It demands and holds your attention and it does it by its emotional quality. There's not a trick, not a gimmick, not an arranging device in it. There is not one bar of mannered or contrived playing. The entire content of the LP is straight ahead, honest, and irrepressibly swinging jazz that won't quit.

Aside from Cohn’s superlative performance, there are good solos by Rehak, Jones, and Hinton, and even when the drummer takes his breaks, taste is the password. This is uncomplicated blowing jazz at its best, and it should serve as a solid convincer to those who have been reluctant to admit Cohn to the hierarchy of jazz soloists. I expect to be playing this album for a long, long time.

The notes by Gary Kramer are a model of clarity and intelligence. *Ralph J. Gleason (Down Beat, March 4, 1957)*

Al Cohn

Cohn On The Saxophone

Al Cohn is one of the hardest working and most sought-after musicians in Local 802. This isn't just because he is an extremely competent technician and knowing stylist, but because, in addition, he is an "idea man". Many veins of modern jazz have been so thoroughly worked over that there gets to be a premium on miners like Cohn that can be relied upon to bring up a handful of bright new nuggets every trip down.

With all the bread-and-butter jobs available to jazzmen today, some cynics are saying (with a grain of reason), "More musicians than ever are eating now, and fewer than ever of them are thinking". That Cohn can't be included among the latter is all the more remarkable for the fact that he gets so few breathing spells between jobs. The originality and solidity of his work can easily be documented from his prolific record output. Cohn's undeniable progress is not so much a matter of "advancing" but one of broadening and deepening.

The most impressive thing about Cohn is his sense of heritage, his awareness of what elements of traditional jazz are worth preserving and synthesizing with the modern idiom. His fundamental beat, his dynamic tone and his extrovert spirit are reincarnations in modern dress of some of the permanently useful ingredients of the older jazz. Observing the frantic efforts of some musicians these days to be "modern" at any cost, Cohn remarked, "Sometimes I feel I don’t belong in the modern school at all. Lots of people try to be modern and lose sight of the path". Cohn has a conscious pride in being in the "mainstream" and is not ashamed of his debt to Armstrong, Young, Hawkins and the other giants who antedate Charlie Parker.

This program is an informal blowing session. It makes you want to dance. All of which is to say that a detailed analysis of the selections in this album, chorus by chorus, would be an academic choice not in keeping with the spirit of the date. A few random highlights might be pointed out. Like the beauty of Cohn's tone in "Softly", the simplicity and sincerity of his conception; the of "When Day is Done"; the way Cohn livens up "Blue Lou", darting in and out like a flash. Or take Cohn's slow-tempo "Blues" original for insight into his New Orleans-oriented side; or "Idaho" to see why the rhythm section rates as New York'’s finest; or listen to "We Three" if you want to know where the expression wail came from. "Be Loose" with its repeated figure exchanged by Rehak and Cohn in perpetual motion is a delight.

Here is modern jazz that continually arouses subtle associations with jazz's storied past without injecting an archaic note. The distinctive craftsmanship of all five musicians showcased here guarantees listening pleasure for connoisseur and layman alike. Swing on this. It will get good to you. *Gary Kramer (from the liner notes)*

1 - We Three

(Mysels, Robertson, Cogane)

2 - Idaho

(Jesse Stone)

3 - The Things I Love

(Barlow, Harris)

4 - Singin The Blues

(Robinson, Conrad, Lewis, Young)

5 - Be Loose

(Al Cohn)

6 - When Day Is Done

(DeSylva, Katscher)

7 - Good Old Blues

(Al Cohn)

8 - Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise

(Romberg, Hammerstein II)

9 - Abstractact Of You

(Al Cohn)

10 - Blue Lou

(Mills, Sampson)

11 - Them There Eyes

(Pinkard, Tracey, Tauber)

Al Cohn (tenor sax), Frank Rehak (trombone),

Hank Jones (piano), Milt Hilton (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded at Webster Hall, New York City, September 29, 1956

✳✳✳

Atlantic Records' entry into the jazz field is an auspicious one this month. With Shorty, they resorted to the simple, yet previously unthought-of expedient of waxing Rogers and the group with which he works regularly in L.A. — Jimmy Giuffre, clarinet, tenor, and baritone; Pete Jolly, piano; Curtis Counce, bass, and Shelly Manne, drums.

And it turns out to be a joy to hear. Shorty plays much more distinctive trumpet when he's with a small group, for some reason, and Giuffre is a gas on clarinet (note particularly Martians Go Home, which also is recommended as the title of the year). Jolly is going to be a highly ranked pianist one day, and the work Manne has done in the last three years has caused me to completely change the opinion I had of his work at that time.

Perhaps Nesuhi Ertegun's album notes best explain what goes on here: "You can hear Shorty for the first time without changes or additions of personnel. It's evident at once that these five musicians have worked together for a long time and are thoroughly accustomed to each others' styles. There exists in this group an instinctive affinity and rapport that can never be duplicated by a band assembled just for a recording session".

For the group spirit, for Shorty's strong horn, for Giuffre’s great reed work, for Shelly's swing — all the stars.

*Jack Tracy (Down Beat, August 24, 1955)*

Shorty Rogers And His Giants

The Swinging Mr. Rogers

Who said West Coast jazz doesn't swing?

It has become terribly fashionable, of late, to make learned distinctions between jazz of the East and West, as if the two never meet, to paraphrase a time-honored platitude. Either clearly stated or vaguely implied, the theory current in vogue goes as follows: East Coast jazz is really more emotional, more driving, closer to "real jazz", whatever that may be. West Coast jazz, we are told on the other hand, takes us into a rarefied atmosphere of intellectual games, is more cerebral, more abstract; it is supposed to be too concerned with harmonic complexities, and to show too many traces of the influence of the modern classical composers; sometimes it is even, God forbid, atonal. West Coast jazz is accused of lacking the pulse and passion of jazz; jazz is lost in the shuffle, so it goes, while the ivory-tower composers of the Hollywood hills are searching for artificial forms and designing their clever collages with bits of Bartók and Berg and Schoenberg and Stravinsky.

I would be the last one to deny the existence of an important and significant experimental jazz movement in the West. It's here, it's growing, and I am all for it. That the West Coast jazz composers are keenly aware of the great modern writers (just as the East Coast and Midwestern and Swedish jazz composers are), there's absolutely no doubt about it; but does this mean, as we are led to believe, that the West Coast school has turned its back to "real jazz"? For an answer to this strange accusation, I suggest you listen to this album.

Shorty has made many records for many companies with big groups and small groups, but strangely enough, never with his own band the way it regularly appears in Hollywood night clubs. On his first Long Play for Atlantic (several more are in preparation), you can hear Shorty Rogers and his Giants for the first time without changes or additions of personnel. It's evident at once that these five musicians have worked together for a long time and are thoroughly accustomed to each others' styles. There exists in this group an instinctive affinity and rapport that can never be duplicated by a band assembled just for a recording session. It is customary for such bands, by the way, to be called All-Star bands; this happens to be a real All-Star band, although it's Shorty's regular group.

It's easily understandable that a group working steadily together achieves a high degree of unity and cohesion; in the case of the Giants, such a unity by no means eliminates the element of surprise, the sudden outburst of an unexpected idea that adds so much to the pleasures of jazz listening. Here, these "surprises" are answered and developed almost instinctively by musicians who are quick to respond to each other. Listen, for instance, to Shorty's last break on "Not Really the Blues", immediately restated by Shelly Manne's drums.

We tried in the recording studio to get a sound for the band that would be as close as possible to its sound in clubs. If that was our object, you might wonder why the recordings weren't made in a club. The fact is that most clubs have horrible acoustics, at least for recording purposes; also, I've never been one to dig crowd noises during a musical performance.

I think these recordings reflect the "in-person" sound of the group rather faithfully, under somewhat idealized conditions. By this I mean that the piano part has more clarity than you'll hear in most clubs, and the bass line is easier to follow. Otherwise, we tried not to change the natural relation of the different instruments, in order to keep an accurate perspective of different volumes and shadings. We liked the sound of the band, and tried to capture it, not "improve" it.

*Nesuhi Ertegun (from the liner notes)*

1 - Isn't It Romantic

(R. Rodgers, L. Hart)

2 - Trickleydidlier

(Shorty Rogers)

3 - Oh Play That Thing

(Shorty Rogers)

4 - Not Really The Blues

(John Mandel)

5 - Martians Go Home

(Shorty Rogers)

6 - My Heart Stood Still

(R. Rodgers, L. Hart)

7 - Michele's Meditation

(Shorty Rogers)

8 That's What I'm Talkin' 'Bout

(Shorty Rogers)

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax),

Pete Jolly (piano), Curtis Counce (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, March 1 (#1, #3 to #6) and March 3 (#2,#7, #8), 1955

Al Cohn and Shorty Rogers - Equal and Different

Al Cohn • Shorty Rogers

East Coast — West Coast Scene

This album is in no way a contest, but a sincere effort to bring about a comparison of East and West Coast styles. Everything was essayed on an equal footing — the same 

instrumentation was used, an outstanding arranger-soloist of each school was chosen as leader, individual members were allowed considerable latitude for an exhibition of their solo capacities. Consequently, most of the arrangements are of the loose variety, within which the leaders and sidemen are able to demonstrate their improvisational talents. That is why this album has two sets of notes, just as it has two absolutely distinct types of modern jazz. Each different in its own peculiar way, each offering a musical excitement of the highest order. *Jack Lewis (liner notes)*

⁂

About Al Cohn and His "Charlie's Tavern" Ensemble:

Take a group of top-flight jazz musicians, put them in a room to themselves — even in "Charlie's Tavern," the established oasis of New York jazzmen — and it's a safe bet that they'll come up with some pretty wild music. But take a group of East Coast instrumentalists, put them in a small, but wonderfully active recording studio, and  it's an equally sure thing that they'll "cut" just about anything anyone has to offer. For swinging jazz in a modern idiom I'll take the East — in Charlie's Tavern it's Al Cohn three to one.

In the final analysis, there may not be a great deal to choose from between jazz of these two coastal schools — each is obviously loaded with men of enormous invention and talent. But, as representative of what is happening in the environs of Manhattan, these sides are wonderfully expressive of what comparisons are being made. *Bill Zeitung (liner notes)*

⁂

About Shorty Rogers and His Augmented Giants:

The West Coast jazz scene has for some time been almost completely dominated by Shorty Rogers who has kept modern jazz alive when many despaired of anything but Dixieland living through the famine. In his writing and playing he has almost single-handedly created and nurtured a definite West Coast style. The loose, swinging beat, the complex harmonies that have more than ever before brought a rapport between classical music and jazz — above all, the constant experimenting for something new in voicing, instrumentation or phrasing — all these things help to define the West Coast style, the Shorty Rogers style. The two are inseparable.

This record is, I fell, a fine demonstration of the West Coast jazz scene. The best man in the area, truly great arrangements by Shorty, variety of tempos — the musicians could ask no more, nor could the listener. Here are some of the finest things happening in jazz today, played by the most articulate spokesmen — the West Coast jazzmen themselves. *Paul Krupa (liner notes)*

A classic session in the tried and true marketing style of "East Coast vs West Coast" jazz, with one side of tracks by a group led by Al Cohn, and featuring Gene Quill, Hal McKusick, and Joe Newman. The other side's got Shorty Rogers representin' on the West Coast, with Jimmy Giuffre, Zoot Sims, Bud Shank, and Shelly Manne. The album's a nice batch of tracks, in the tightly arranged style that characterizes many of these mid-50's RCA jazz sessions. However, since Cohn's measured playing could never really be taken for New York Hot, and since his longtime partner Zoot Sims is part of Rogers' West Coast group, it's hard to say that these sides are really any sort of true battle between the coasts. Instead, though, the tracks are nice and long, with more room for solos than usual, and titles that include "Loki", "Cool Sunshine", and "Inside Out". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

Side 1

1 - Inside Out

(Al Cohn)

2 - Autumn Leaves

(Joseph Kosma)

3 - Serenade For Kathy

(Al Cohn)

Side 2

4 - Cool Sunshine

(Shorty Rogers)

5 - Loki

(Shorty Rogers)

6 - Elaine's Lullaby

(Shorty Rogers)

#1 to #3: Al Cohn And His Charlie's Tavern Ensemble

Joe Newman (trumpet); Eddie Bert, Billy Byers (trombones);

Hal McKusick, Gene Quill (alto saxes)

Al Cohn (tenor sax); Sol Schlinger (baritone sax); Sanford Gold (piano);

Billy Bauer (guitar); Milt Hinton (bass); Osie Johnson (drums).

Recorded in New York City, October 26, 1954

#4 to #6: Shorty Rogers And His Augmented Giants

Shorty Rogers (trumpet); Milt Bernhart, Bob Enevoldsen (trombones); Zoot Sims (tenor sax);

Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax); Lennie Niehaus, Bud Shank (alto saxes);

Pete Jolly (piano); Barney Kessel (guitar); Curtis Counce (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, September 11, 1954

Zoot Sims on Prestige (VII) [as sideman]

Concluding the series dedicated to Zoot Sims and his recordings for the Prestige label, only two collaborations remain as a sideman: with bassist Chubby Jackson's band and with a Miles Davis septet that also includes Al Cohn, his "soul mate". 

Let's remember why it was important for bandleaders to hire Zoot Sims to accompany them:

Sims' signature sound formed in the early 1940s, when he surfaced in Los Angeles' fertile Central Avenue scene. Clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman discovered him and immediately recruited him for his band. In 1947 Sims landed an even higher profile gig when he joined Woody Herman's famed Second Herd, along with fellow saxophonists Stan Getz, Herbie Steward and Serge Chaloff. Together, the quartet of sax players was known as the Four Brothers, after a Jimmy Giuffre composition written for them, and became famous for their deft unison lines and the novelty of their dark, sweet sound.

After leaving the Herd and turning up in New York, Sims went through a period of freelancing and unsteady work. In 1953 he joined the Stan Kenton band, which provided a regular paycheck. But the band's music — emphasizing tightly-knit group passages that allowed for only short solos — and Kenton's stern, top-down leadership didn't mesh well with the easygoing, yet musically hard-driving Sims. He didn't stay long with the band, quitting on the spot after their bus wrecked along a Pennsylvania highway.

Zoot retreated to California, but he found few performing opportunities and wound up working as a house painter. Baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan rescued Sims from his day job when he invited Zoot to help expand his well-known, pianoless quartet. As trombonist and band member Bob Brookmeyer remembers, Sims and Mulligan were "connected by the bone" as both players and improvisers.

In the mid and late '50s, buoyed by his success with Mulligan, Zoot would release many recordings as a leader — 10 in 1956 alone. Nevertheless, he remained a great collaborator and team player, and he inevitably returned to winning partnerships. In 1957, Zoot hooked up with an old friend, tenorman Al Cohn. Together, they formed perhaps the most successful partnership of Zoot's career, co-leading an ensemble for many years.

Later in his career, Sims continued to evolve as a player. According to saxophonist and composer Bill Holman, Zoot's tone aged and became gruffer, and he expanded his repertoire thanks to the influence of pianist Jimmy Rowles. But he never gave up on what many consider his greatest asset: his incredible sense of swing. "No matter what he played, it was perfectly in time", said saxophonist Harry Allen. "If you were making your own perfect saxophone player up in your head, that's where you'd put the notes. And (Sims) managed to do that without fail".

Chubby Jackson And His All Star Band

Plays

The style of Chubby's big band would be echoed throughout the 50's and 60's in the bands of Woody Herman, Elliot Lawrence, Gene Krupa, Count Basie and Gerry Mulligan. The actual recording, the first big band date recorded by Prestige was done in the old Cinemart studios in New York City. The studio was so small that the trumpet section had to face the wall to make for a better balance. At the time of the session, Georgie Auld owned a bar and jazz club called "Tin Pan Alley" in the basement of a hotel on 49th Street. The club was a favorite oasis for Zoot Sims, Gerry Mulligan and J.J. Johnson among others and everybody would come by to jam. 

At the date Mulligan remarked how loose he felt when working with Zoot. Certainly the loose feeling permeated the entire session as Auld, Jackson and Don Lamond fooled around with one of those fake nose and glasses disguises and Chubby kicked off the time in his stocking feet! 

The date was the second recording of J. J. Johnson and Kay Winding in tandem, the first being a Metronome All-Star session in January 1949. The Tiny Kahn charts were a constant topic of conversation and the band which Jackson had led in early 1949 had played most of them, some under different titles, at "Bop City" and "The Royal Roost".

It is interesting to note that on this LP, Chubby Jackson does not do much solo playing. This is unusual but again it emphasizes Jackson's role as an organizer. He had musical talent as well as the ability to get good men into good places. Valuable contributions to the American Art Form and contributions that both listeners and historians alike can be grateful for.

*Ernie Edwards, Jr. (liner notes, February 1969)* 

1 - Flying The Coop

(Tiny Kahn)

2 - I May Be Wrong

(Ruskin, Sullivan)

3 - Leavin' Town

(Jarvis, Meissner)

4 - Sax Appeal

(Tiny Kahn)

5 - New York

(Al Cohn)

6 - Why Not

(Tiny Kahn)

7 - Hot Dog

(Zoot Sims)

8 - So What

(Gerry Mulligan)

Chubby Jackson (bass, leader); Howard McGhee, Al Porcino, Don Ferrara (trumpets);

J.J. Johnson, Kai Winding (trombones); Charlie Kennedy (alto sax);

Zoot Sims, George Auld (tenor saxes), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax);

Tony Aless (piano); Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded at Cinemart Studios, New York City, March 15, 1950

✳✳✳

Miles Davis Septet

Plays The Compositions Of Al Cohn

Since the "records heard 'round the world", "Godchild", "Jeru", "Move", et al, Miles Davis has made many other fine records to enhance his position as top modern trumpeter, but in the main they have been three horn groups (including himself) with an emphasis on solo work. After the original melody, usually stated in tight unison, each hornman played again only when his solo turn came. The soloists had to be good to sustain interest, and they were, but it was felt that Miles needed a change of pace for his next recording date; compositions and arrangements which would suit him and result in a happy combination of arranged music and solo work.

The man who achieved this was Al Cohn, the unheralded great of the tenor saxophone, as well as the composer's and arranger's desk. Three of the pieces, "Willie The Wailer", "Floppy" and "For Adults Only" were written for this session. "Tasty Pudding" had been written before but Al arranged it specially for Miles and this date. The Pudding whipped up by Al receives flavoring and icing from Miles and best exemplifies the whole idea behind this type of integrated arrangement.

Thanks to Miles, Al, and Zoot Sims, with help from John Lewis and Sonny Truitt, the "solo" is not neglected and the feeling that they show in their reading of the arrangements (underlined, and punctuated by Kenny Clarke; propelled by Leonard Gaskin and Kenny) makes the "happy combination" possible. *Ira Gitler (liner notes)*

Miles Davis Plays The Compositions Of Al Cohn, from early 1953, was another album unified by idea and intent. The music is intelligent and spry, with sly references to other tunes, one that would lodge itself in Miles' memory; "Willie The Wailer", for example, opens as "Soft Winds", a number popularized by Benny Goodman in 1941, and which in 1959 Miles would morph into "Freddie The Freeloader" for >Kind Of Blue<. The performances are strong, the harmony lines benefitting from a three-horn frontline with Zoot Sims and Cohn the relaxed foils to Miles' brashness. *milesdavis.com*

Side 1

1 - Tasty Pudding

2 - Floppy

Side 2

3 - Willie The Wailer

4 - For Adults Only

(All compositions by Al Cohn)

Miles Davis (trumpet); Sonny Truitt (trombone); Zoot Sims, Al Cohn (tenor saxes);

John Lewis (piano); Leonard Gaskin (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums).

Recorded at Beltone Studios, New York City, February 19, 1953.

Zoot Sims on Prestige (VI)

Straight ahead  mid-'50s swinging bop, this era was heralded as the transition from swing to bop, but my, does it swing.  The pairing of Zoot Sims and Phil Woods is magnificent, both bursting with unstoppable high energy flow, powered along by a driving rhythm section.

It is a complete delight to follow the solos, which seem to over-run their allotted time, but no problem, both Woods and Sims are great. Though Woods is beautiful,  Zoot stands as  a bridge between the old school of tenor players and the new, and it is Sims that has The Force with him.

There have been at least three Prestige issues of this recording under different leader names and album titles, which highlights the label's acute sensitivity to the  changing standing of different artists – Jon Eardley, Phil Woods and Zoot Sims.

The original PRLP 7033 featured The Jon Eardley Seven. Seriously classic cover art.

A second issue of PRLP 7033 appeared, but retitled Down East.  Zoot Sims now heads the list of artists, Woods at No.2, Eardley demoted to third billing, but gets capital letters to soften the blow. Both versions are frequently touted as "original".

A third reissue (which is presented here) was released in 1965, under the main name of Zoot Sims and titled Koo Koo. Rudy Van Gelder must have gone back and re-mastered this recording for Prestige sometime in the early/mid ’60s, intended for the New Jazz label, but a business decision was made to put it out on Status, with a third cover,  design and photo by Don Schlitten. *londonjazzcollector.com*

Zoot Sims

with Phil Woods and Jon Eardley

Koo Koo

When this record was made, however, sessions were still being held with some kind of regularity around town. Budding young jazzmen like Phil Woods and Jon Eardley were always eager to play, especially if they were not working, an attitude that is out of vogue today. Although Sims was an established star, he was always anxious for a session. Just as he had for Lloyd, Gerry Mulligan, and George Wallington in the late '40s, he made the sessions go for Woods, Eardley, and George Syran in the '50s. The younger musicians looked up to him, and this, coupled with the urgency of his blowing, made them outdo themselves. 

This, recording was done in a period when Zoot had returned from almost two years) in California. First he played with Miles Davis and Gerry Mulligan in the set at the 1955 Newport Jazz Festival which marked Miles' "comeback", and then he became a member of Gerry's sextet which also included Jon Eardley.

Eardley and Woods had already recorded two 10-inch LPs for Prestige. The rhythm section for these dates was Syran, Teddy Kotick, and Nick Stabulas. When Koo Koo was recorded, everyone in the studio knew each other well in the kind of familiarity that definitely does not breed contempt. Trombonist Milty Gold, a native Pennsylvanian like Eardley, had worked with the big bands of Herbie Fields, Buddy Rich, Claude Thornhill, Elliott Lawrence, Stan Kenton and Pete Rugolo. He also was with the sextet that backed Anita O'Day in the late '40s. As one who was around the New York area from that time, he participated in many informal sessions with the other musicians on this date.

The arrangements are just right for this kind of a blowing session. They have substance, and yet never impede the flow of the soloists. The lines, as stated by an interweaving of the trumpet and alto team with the trombone-tenor tandem, have an inner swing, while the backgrounds for the horn soloists act as a spur.

It's good to have these tracks available once again. They demonstrate how Zoot Sims and Phil Woods were taking care of business in the mid-Fifties. They are still very active today, as are Teddy Kotick and Nick Stabulas. However, less has been heard from the other principals involved. George Syran has been playing gigs in supper clubs and east side lounges in New York, but does not record. Jon Eardley was off the scene for a spell but is reported to be playing in Europe now. Milty Gold has been inactive professionally, of late. Perhaps we will be hearing more from these three in the near future. This recording proves that their capabilities warrant renewed attention.

*Ira Gitler (liner notes, November 1964)*

Side 1

1 - Leap Year

(Syran)

2 - There's No You

(Hopper)

3 - On The Minute

(Eardley)

Side 2

4 - Ladders

(Eardley)

5 - Koo Koo

(Eardley)

6 - Eard's Word

(Woods)

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Phil Woods (alto sax), Jon Eardley (trumpet), 

Milt Gold (trombone), George Syran (piano), Teddy Kotick (bass), Nick Stabulas (drums).

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, January 13, 1956.