Red Norvo: A hidden gem

Red Norvo

Ad Lib

Featuring Buddy Collette

One of the hippest Red Norvo records ever — a rare outing for Liberty that features Buddy Collette on reeds, bringing in a new level of color to the Norvo group! Red's work on vibes is precise and nicely chromatic — often coming across in waves of sound on the mellower tracks, and with a poppingly melodic quality on the more upbeat ones. Other players include Dick Shreve on piano, Bill Douglass on drums, and either Curtis Counce or Joe Comfort on bass — and titles include "A Few Days After Xmas", "Tar Pit Blues", "Shreve-Port", "The Brushoff", and "Fifth Column". *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

How does the man do it? Year in and year out, Red continues to maintain standards of musicianship and ideational interest that have been associated with him for better than a quarter-century on records. The latest pair of LPs (Ad Lib and Music To Listen To Red Norvo By) will add further luster to Red's reputation; there is little to choose between them except for the added interest of Bill Smith's writing on the second set.

"What Is There to Say?" typifies the Liberty sides (Ad Lib). The melody is neatly rephrased in strikingly effective vibes-flute unison, with accents by brushes and rhythm. Shreve is his usual spare, incisive self; Red, Buddy, and the bassist (why don't they tell us who played on which tracks?) all capture the spirit of the easy tempo and sunny-afternoon mood.

It's the same on most of the other items, with Buddy's clarinet most effective on "Shreve-port" and "School", his alto pleasant on "Waterfront". The latter tends to become rhythmically logey; the piano gets a fine funky sound (or sounds out of tune, whichever way you prefer to look at it). The originals (three by Buddy, two by Dick) are all light and charming, especially "Xmas", Buddy’s "Frenesi"-like, up-tempo blues. *Leonard Feather (Down Beat, September 19, 1957)*

When you cross bridges, combine schools, intertwine the swinging with the cool, you could not choose two better ingredients than Red Norvo and Buddy Collette for the purpose.

Red's great vibe work has been one of jazz's standout commodities for years, whether rocking some small group of his own or backstopping a great vocalist such as the late, great Mildred Bailey. Red's soft tasty beat with the right ideas in just the right places has given his work that individual stamp which defies eras and fads. Red is certainly one of the "jazz greats" of the music world.

Watching him in a session, leading the way with his own ideas, one readily comprehends Red's mastery of his instrument. For Red to come through with continuously brilliant performances have become commonplace.

It is only natural that an artist with the conception of Norvo should reach out and attract artists of equal stature. Such is the case of "The Man of Many Parts", Buddy Collette. This master of the reed family, is a new artist only in the sense of being discovered but lately by the jazz aficionados.

Buddy has long been one of the stalwarts of the West Coast scene. Not only has he shown to advantage with various jazz groups but being a full, well-schooled musician, he has been sought after for the more mundane vocations of the studio orchestra chair and serious musical projects.

However, it is in jazz, obviously Buddy's first love, that he has risen to giant proportions. In Ad Lib, Buddy's and Red's talents blend so beautifully that we are forced to re-evaluate some earlier conceptions of the cool scene. Here, at least, it is not all technique and a nose tilted haughtily at the solid beat. Here, at least — Red, Buddy, and their cohorts manage to interject a feeling of warmth and swinging, listenable, understandable and over-all projection of a wonderful mood in jazz.

Ad Lib showcases Buddy Collette's new discovery. His name's Dick Shreve and his fresh and scintillating pianistic slyle stamps him as a sure-fire bet to join his illustrious compatriot in the Jazz Hall of Fame. *Simon Jackson (liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - What Is There To Say

(Vernon Duke, E. Y. Harburg)

2 - Shreve-Port

(Dick Shreve)

3 - 96th Street School

(Buddy Collette)

4 - Fifth Column

(Dick Shreve)

5 - The Brushoff

(Buddy Collette)

Side 2

6 - I Cover The Waterfront

(Johnny Green, Edward Heyman)

7 - A Few Days After Xmas

(Buddy Collette)

8 - Mad About The Boy

(Noel Coward)

9 - Tar Pit Blues

(Dick Shreve)

Buddy Collette (flute, clarinet [#3, #4, #5, #9], alto sax [#6]);

Red Norvo (vibes); Dick Shreve (piano); Bill Douglass (drums);

Curtis Counce [#1, #5, #6, #7], Joe Comfort  [#2, #3, #4, #8, #9] (basses).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, December 18 [#1, #5, #6, #7], 1956;

December 27 [#2, #3, #4], 1956 and January 4 [#8, #9], 1957