Five-Star Collection... Porgy And Bess

Miles Davis

Porgy And Bess

The inherent pensiveness of Gil Evans' writing and the introversion of Miles Davis' playing produces something akin to a gas flame turned as low as it can be without going out. Its heat is quiet, but very intense.

What is it possible to say now about Gil Evans? This man has genius. He is one of the few living composers whose magic passes all the technical tests for stature without dying in the process. He has taken what he wanted and needed from the classical tradition, and yet remained a jazz writer, safely evading the lure of contemporary classical music, which has written itself up a blind alley. In His control and reserve (notice Summertime) he can put you in mind of Sibelius, who may have been the last classical composer to express himself naturally and without calculation of effects and because he felt it that way. Yet Evans is unique, and his development has been quite personal. His debts are to himself: there are things in this album that hark back to his days of writing for Claude Thornhill.

The Porgy songs submerged in this album, soaked up by the personalities  — or rather, the joint personality — of Evans and Davis. You forget the underlying structures and, since the music used is not in the standard AABA pop song form to begin with, the album becomes a remarkable jazz experience, both for the musicians and the listener, who will be forcibly reminded of the great seriousness and the greatness in jazz, the universality in it that Andre Hodeir is always talking about.

Some of the best of Miles is to be heard in this album — along with some of the sloppiest. There are cracked and fuzzed notes and other things that just shouldn't have been let go. (Strawberry may make all but the most uncritical Davis fans squirm.) Why these things were let pass is anybody's guess. Maybe Miles didn’t care. Maybe they were let pass in accordance with the dubious faith that even mistakes are part of the whole and therefore to be admired in jazz. Maybe it is because the executives-in-charge think that Miles' stature is such that these considerations are small in comparison — which, as a matter of fact, is true.

In any case, the Davis-Evans relationship has again produced superb music. In the jazz albums of Porgy, this one is in a class by itself. Which figures: it named its own terms.

*Down Beat, July 23, 1959 (5 stars)*

1 - The Buzzard Song

2 - Bess, You Is My Woman Now

3 - Gone

4 - Gone, Gone, Gone

5 - Summertime

6 - Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess

7 - Prayer (Oh Doctor Jesus)

8 - Fishermen, Strawberry And Devil Crab

9 - My Man's Gone Now

10 - It Ain't Necessarily So

11 - Here Come De Honey Man

12 - I Loves You Porgy

13 - There's A Boat That's Leaving Soon For New York

(All compositions by George Gershwin)

Miles Davis (trumpet, flugelhorn);

Ernie Royal, Bernie Glow, Johnny Coles, Louis Mucci (trumpets);

Dick Hixon, Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland, Joe Bennett (trombones);

Willie Ruff, Julius Watkins, Gunther Schuller (french horns); Bill Barber (tuba);

Phil Bodner, Jerome Richardson, Romeo Penque (flutes, alto flutes, clarinets)

Cannonball Adderley (alto sax), Danny Bank (alto flute, bass flute, bass clarinet);

Paul Chambers (bass); Philly Joe Jones [#1, #3 to #7, #9, #12, #13],

Jimmy Cobb [#2, #8, #10, #11] (drums). Gil Evans (arranger, conductor)

Recorded at CBS 30th Street Studio, New York City, July 22 [#3, #4, #9], 

July 29 [#2, #8, #10, #11], August 4 [#1, #5, #6, #7, #13], August 18 [#12], 1958

✳✳✳

The Bill Potts Big Band

The Jazz Soul Of Porgy And Bess

An immediate and obvious comparison will arise between this album and the Miles Davis Porgy album. It should be dismissed. All they have in common is that they are the two outstanding instrumental Porgy performances in the rash of recent releases of discs inspired by the movie. Otherwise, they are dissimilar. Their purposes are different, and so are their final effects.

This LP, in which United Artists is taking thoroughly justified pride, is actually truer to the spirit of the Gershwin music than the Miles-Gil album was or was meant to be. And it establishes Washingtonian Potts as a major arranger. This is a man to be watched.

The instrumentation he has used is what might be termed augmented conventional. Potts finds his colors — and rich ones they are — in the instruments considered normal to jazz. But by the careful (and brilliant) use of the highly individual soloists at his disposal, he has created a tapestry of rich variety.

All the men are given blowing room, and Sims, Cohn, Brookmeyer, Farmer, and Edison turn in individual statements that are up to the standards we have come to expect of them. Indeed, there isn't a poor solo in the lot, and some are superb. Evans plays with a harder jazz feeling than has usually been thought to be within his scope. Markowitz, not too known to the public as a jazzman, invests My Man's Gone Now with all the warmth and feeling it can hold.

Of course, there can be a danger in having so many gifted soloists playing section. But in the ensemble passages, all of them submerge themselves in the task at hand, and the result is a cohesiveness and power rarely found in studio-band playing.

This project was the coddled baby of UA's Jazz A&R man, Jack Lewis. The coddling was worth it, and he is to be congratulated. This is a beautiful, beautiful album.

*Down Beat, September 3, 1959 (5 stars)*

1 - Summertime

2 - A Woman Is A Sometime Thing

3 - My Man's Gone Now

4 - It Takes A Long Pull To Get There

5 - I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'

6 - Bess You Is My Woman

7 - It Ain't Necessarily So

8 - Medley: Prayer, Strawberries, Honey Man, Crab Man

9 - I Loves You Porgy

10 - Clara, Clara

11- There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York

12 - Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess

13 - Oh Lawd, I'm On My Way

(All compositions by George Gershwin)

Art Farmer, Harry Edison, Bernie Glow, Markie Markowitz, Charlie Shavers (trumpets);

Bob Brookmeyer, Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland, Earl Swope, Rod Levitt (trombones);

Phil Woods, Gene Quill (alto saxes); Zoot Sims, Al Cohn (tenor saxes);

Sol Schlinger (baritone sax); Bill Evans (piano); George Duvivier (bass);

Herbie Powell (guitar); Charley Persip (drums); Bill Potts (arranger, conductor).

Recorded at Webster Hall, New York City, January 13, 14 and 15, 1959

Jazz goes to... Elliot Lawrence

Elliot Lawrence

Jazz Goes Broadway

Elliot Lawrence was born Elliot Lawrence Broza on February 14, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents, Stan Lee Broza and Esther Broza, were radio and television pioneers. In 1927, they created and produced the Horn and Hardart Children's Hour, which ran on WCAU radio from 1927 to 1958 and concurrently on television from 1948 to 1958.

Lawrence grew up in this show business environment and began studying piano at the age of three. His first public performance was at age four conducting the orchestra on the Children's Hour stage show. At the age of six he wrote his first composition, "Falling Down Stairs", and was stricken with polio. Lawrence suffered from the illness for six months, after which he recovered. By the age of 12, Elliot had formed his first band, a 15-piece unit called The Band Busters, and had already begun doing club dates on the weekends. Elliot finished high school at age 16 and entered the University of Pennsylvania. During his junior year his band, now named The Elliot Broza Orchestra, began playing college proms around Pennsylvania. 

Elliot took the name Elliot Lawrence to distinguish himself from his family name when he became the music director of WCAU'S House Band in 1945. The band premiered on the radio on January 18, 1945, as The Elliot Lawrence Orchestra in a weekly half-hour broadcast "Listen to Lawrence". The Elliot Lawrence Band, of which he was the piano player and leader, soon incorporated classical instruments like oboe, French horn, English horn and bassoon.

From 1946 to 1954, Lawrence's Band toured, performing at dances, concerts, college proms, and headline gigs around the United States year round, while recording albums for Decca, Columbia, RCA, Fantasy, and Vik records. In 1949, the band performed a three-week stint with the Nat King Cole Trio at the Paramount Theater in New York City, during which time it recorded Gerry Mulligan's "Elevation", later named "one of the top 50 best jazz recordings of the 20th century" by the Smithsonian Institution. The Elliot Lawrence Band performed in Philadelphia at the World Series in 1950, playing his original song "The Fightin' Phils". By this time, however, the band had become known for their "sweet" commercial sound. From 1947 to 1949 the band was the "campus choice" in Billboard's most promising new orchestra polls. Elliot was also voted one of America's "most eligible bachelors" by Look magazine in 1949.

After 1960, Lawrence gave up jazz and began composing and arranging for television, film, and stage. He won the Tony Award for his second show, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 1962. This led to a 16-year career as a Broadway Conductor and musical director and later to his almost 50-year career as the "go to" conductor for big television events and specials.

Elliot Lawrence died on July 2, 2021, at the age of 96 in Manhattan. *(from wikipedia.org)*

If New York's jazz studio scene had a high point, it's probably 1956 and '57, just as the 12-inch LP became popular and just before stereo intruded with its odd sonics. During those two years, labels set high LP production quotas and producers were dispatched to line up numerous recording dates. With the pressure on, many producers took chances on artists who might not have been heard otherwise and concepts that hadn't been tried previously. They also began using Broadway songs as a way to build inventory.

One of the earliest examples was Elliot Lawrence's Jazz Goes Broadway, which had a distinctly East Coast sound. The difference between the East Coast and West Coast studio sound rested in its main influences. On the West Coast, arrangements and playing tended to be splashier and more swayed by television, fast cars and the movies. On the East Coast, the playing was jazzier and the arrangements tended to be bluesy, instrumentally denser and less commercial sounding.

Recorded over two sessions in May 1957, Jazz Goes Broadway featured two different sets of first-call studio musicians. The arrangements were by AlCohn, Elliot Lawrence and Manny Albam. What's more, each song showcases a different artist.

On Jazz Goes Broadway, we hear the artful use of show tunes without sacrificing jazz or swing. *Marc Myers*

Although he mostly worked in radio, television, and the studios in the 1950s, pianist/arranger Elliot Lawrence also led a series of fine swing-oriented jazz dates. Most of his sessions were at the head of big bands, but, for this CD Lawrence leads a pair of overlapping octets. Such soloists as Art Farmer or Nick Travis on trumpet, Jimmy Cleveland or Urbie Green on trombone, altoist Gene Quill, clarinetist Hal McKusick, tenorman Zoot Sims and Al Cohn (switching to baritone), the groups perform ten songs taken from Broadway shows. Four ("Just in Time", "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face", "On the Street Where You Live", and "Mack the Knife") became standards while the other six sank into obscurity. The jazz all-stars (which also include bassist Chubby Jackson and drummer Don Lamond) uplift all of the tunes, with arrangements provided by Lawrence, Cohn, and Manny Albam. *Scott Yanow (All Music Guide)*

1 - Jubilation T. Cornepone

(Johnny Mercer, Gene De Paul)

2 - Just In Time

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

3 - Big D

(Frank Loesser)

4 - I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face

(Alan J. Lerner, Frederick Loewe)

5 - On The Street Where You Live

(Alan J. Lerner, Frederick Loewe)

6 - Mack The Knife

(Kurt Weill)

7 - Joey, Joey, Joey

(Frank Loesser)

8 - If'n

(Matt Dubey, Harold Karr)

9 - Look At 'Er

(Bob Merrill)

10 - Standing On The Corner

(Frank Loesser)

#1, #3, #6, #8:

Art Farmer (trumpet), Jimmy Cleveland (trombone), Gene Quill (alto sax),

 Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Al Cohn (baritone sax), Elliot Lawrence (piano),

Chubby Jackson (bass), Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded at Webster Hall, RCA Victor Studios, New York City, May 7, 1957

#2, #4, #5, #7, #9, #10:

Nick Travis (trumpet), Urbie Green (trombone), Hal McKusick (clarinet),

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Al Cohn (baritone sax), Elliot Lawrence (piano),

Chubby Jackson (bass), Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded at Webster Hall, RCA Victor Studios, New York City, May 8, 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 (V) [as co-leader]

 Starting in his youth, saxophonist Zoot Sims fashioned his seemingly effortless sound from the music of early masters Lester Young and Ben Webster. Playing alongside some of jazz's great bandleaders, accompanists and soloists — and eventually as a leader himself — Sims then refined that sound over a long and productive career. Never a musician to chase trends, he always kept two classic jazz principles in mind: Always play with indomitable swing, and have faith in the infinite variety to be gleaned from a familiar set of chord changes.

Zoot Sims was a highly regarded leader and co-leader in jazz, known for his co-leadership with Al Cohn in the 1950s and 1960s. While he also released numerous albums as a leader in the mid-to-late 1950s, his career was characterized by both leadership and collaborative efforts. Sims's leadership style was described as favoring smaller ensembles, where he could exercise more creative freedom. 

Sims expressed a preference for smaller ensembles over larger ones, stating that it offered greater freedom for creative expression, especially for the leader. He felt he could choose the tunes and tempos he desired, according to a Jazz Professional interview. 

Despite his successful leadership periods, Sims was also a highly sought-after sideman, known for his collaborative spirit and ability to contribute to various musical settings.

The next two albums clearly show Zoot's collaborative spirit:

Stan Getz • Zoot Sims • Al Cohn • Allen Eager • Brew Moore

The Brothers

The five tenor saxophonists featured here are of the highest calibre. Getz, since his early days with Woody Herman, has always been one of the most outstanding voices in jazz. His tremendous inventiveness and still-unusual sound has, in 4 sense, kept him in a class by himself. Zoot Sims, another Herman graduate, who plays with a fire-like quality and an uncanny sense of "time", never ceases to amaze even his fellow-musicians. The multi-talented (player, composer, arranger) Al Cohn projects a mournful, lyrical quality that’s rare even in this era of "soul" music. Mr. Eager, for the benefit of our "newer" jazz listeners, was one of the leading lights in the earlier days of modern 

jazz. An extremely vital player, it's our loss that he now chooses to race Italian sport cars for the rent money. I'm sure you'll agree on hearing the enclosed. 

Brew Moore, currently enjoying great popularity in the Scandinavian countries, is another name synonomous with the earlier "New York Tenor School". In this album, we hear these five great tenor players in one of the most memorable recording sessions ever.

In an extension of the now-famous Herman "Four Brothers" sound, here the boys play some highly-melo-dic compositions by Gerry Mulligan and Al Cohn. In most cases of "all-star" groups, the music suffers because of frantic attempts to out-do each other. Not so, in the case of this album. Possibly it's because of the closeness of the men involved, both personally and musically. In any event, on The Brothers, the soloists prod each other on in a positive sense, never losing sight of the fact that ‘each is part of the whole. The results being, a rousing, happy collection of tunes with plenty of meaningful improvisation. I personally, would like to see these guys get together more often. 

On the second half of this set you'll hear two of "the brothers", Al and Zoot with trombonist Kai Winding. Possibly this is the seed from which the present Al Cohn-Zoot Sims group grew. Each compliments the other's playing so well, it seems only natural that they should merge. Their kind of jazz is a light, swinging, happy one. The tunes are simple, the charts are tasty and the blowing is superb

Being a disc-jockey and not a musician, I can't get technical about the music enclosed and I'm happy for it. This is not the kind of music anyone should get technical about. Inside this jacket are good jazz musicians, good jazz tunes, good jazz arrangements. All in all, just good jazz! Who can ask for anything more? *Les Davis (liner notes)*

A classic Prestige LP that compiles earlier sides by the young tenor genius Stan Getz – four tunes from a 1949 session recorded under Stan Getz & His Four Brothers, with tenor work from Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Allen Eager, and Brew Moore – all blowing with Getz in a real "brothers-like" sax section sound. The remaining 4 tracks feature Stan and Al Cohn, working in a 1952 session with George Wallington on piano and Kai Winding on trombone – on some nice light boppish tracks that have that sweet smooth Getz tone firmly in place. The album's got a great Don Martin cover, and titles include "Battleground", "Five Brothers", "Four & One Moore", "Red Door", and "Zoot Case". Plus this CD issue includes 3 alternate takes, too!  *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Five Brothers

(Gerry Mulligan)

2 - Five Brothers (alternate take)

(Gerry Mulligan)

3 - Battle Of The Saxes

(Al Cohn)

4- Four And One Moore

(Gerry Mulligan)

5. Four And One Moore (alternate take)

(Gerry Mulligan)

6 - Battleground

(Al Cohn)

7 - Battleground (alternate take)

(Al Cohn)

8 - The Red Door

(Zoot Sims)

9 - Zootcase

(Zoot Sims)

10 - Tangerine

(Schertzinger, Mercer)

11 - Morning Sun

(Zoot Sims, Al Cohn)

#1 to #7: Stan Getz And His Four Brothers

Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Allen Eager, Brew Moore (tenor saxes);

Walter Bishop (piano); Gene Ramey (bass); Charlie Perry (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 8, 1949.

#8 to #11: Zoot Sims And Al Cohn

Zoot Sims, Al Cohn (tenor saxes); Kai Winding (trombone);

George Wallington (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Art Blakey (drums).

Recorded in New York City, September 8, 1952. 

✳✳✳

Hank Mobley • Al Cohn • John Coltrane • Zoot Sims

Tenor Conclave

An unusually clarifying and multiply successful confrontation. This LP should provide much immediate illumination for anyone whose curiosity has not been wholly satisfied concerning the difference between the two major trends of modern tenor and the variation in each. To help further, Ira Gitler has contributed the most accurate and clearest discussion of the subject I've yet seen in print. I'd suggest you read his genealogical tracing and corollary descriptions in the notes before hearing the record.

As Gitler points out, Zoot and Al are in the Basie–Young tradition with some Parker influence. Mobley and Coltrane come directly from Parker and each has complementary influences. Sims and Cohn are "brothers", Gitler adds, while Mobley and Coltrane's differences are somewhat wider, so they could be called "cousins". All four respond to the challenge, and for the most part, are at the top of their form. Coltrane, who has been improving rapidly, never has struck me as impressively as he does here. The rhythm section is just right, and there are bonus Chambers solos. On the record, the titles for Tenor Conclave and Bob's Boys have been switched. The LP represents a valuable a&r idea and is an indication of a reenergization of the creative thinking at Prestige that should lead to an important year for them — and for us. *Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, April 30, 1957)*

These four sides should not be hard to locate, as the primary participants in this November 30, 1956, session have all issued them within their individual catalogs. However Tenor Conclave was first released as credited to the "leaderless" Prestige All-Stars — consisting of tenor saxophonists John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, and Zoot Sims. Providing support are pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor. The Mobley-penned title track commences the effort with the quartet of tenors showing off their stuff in high-flying style. It takes a couple of passes and somewhat of a trained ear to be able to link the players with their contributions, but as is often the case, the whole tends to be greater than the sum of the parts. After a brief introduction with all four rapidly reeling off short riffs, Mobley charges ahead into truly inspired territory. The midtempo take of "Just You, Just Me" keeps things lively with a light swinging pace that is custom-made for bringing the combo's jocular side to the surface, particularly toward the end as they "trade fours," with each tenor blowing four bars before passing the melody on. The other Mobley composition is "Bob's Boys," and by all accounts it is the most compelling piece on the outing. The blues-based tune rollicks as Coltrane, Mobley, Cohn, and Sims find themselves configured in a seeming myriad of sonic face-offs. Wrapping up Tenor Conclave is an ultra-cool and sophisticated "How Deep Is the Ocean?" Cohn commences the long and luscious reading with a subtle strength, suggesting the powerful undercurrent flowing throughout the number. Also, listeners are treated to what is possibly Garland's finest interaction, leading right into Sims, Chambers, and finally a sublime Coltrane caboose. *Lindsay Planer*

1 - Tenor Conclave

(Hank Mobley)

2 - Just You, Just Me

(Jesse Greer, Raymond Klages)

3 - Bob's Boys

(Hank Mobley)

4 - How Deep Is the Ocean

(Irving Berlin)

Hank Mobley, Al Cohn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims (tenor saxes);

Red Garland (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey, September 7, 1956

Zoot Sims on Prestige (IV)

In the following collection from the Blue Moon label (not all of them are released for the Prestige label, as is the intention of this series), we find the two albums that complete Zoot Sims' Prestige recordings as a leader. Although the sound quality, unfortunately, is not as good, this is an interesting collection of Zoot Sims recordings from the early 1950s.  Sims was at his peak, and here he is in exceptional company, especially with guitarists Johnny Smith and Chuck Wayne.The CD contains only the master takes of the originally issued records, and therefore all alternate takes have not been included in order to offer the collector those that were considered to be the definitive performances.

The sessions that make up this CD cover a little more than a year's activity and show yet again Zoot's tremendous versatility. In all, he made six visits into the recording studios, two of them leading his own group and the other four as the only horn soloist in quintets all led, curiously enough, by guitarists. 

With Johnny Smith, who in that same era also recorded with Stan Getz, our saxophonist once more demonstrates his ever-increasing ability to exquisitely express a profound and reflective lyricism which reaches its maximum intensity in the ballads "Ghost Of A Chance" (Lester Young again!) and "My Funny Valentine". With Chuck Wayne (another ex-Hermanite and, a little while before this date, a member of the George Shearing Quintet), the atmosphere is much more lively, and they also interpret a rhumba made famous in 1946 by Woody’s Second Herd, plus the "obligatory" ballad, "While My Lady Sleeps". 

Of the two sessions under his own name, the first (Zoot Sims All Stars) constitutes an early intimation of what would later become a duo Zoot would form with Al Cohn from 1957 onwards. Backed by a splendid rhythm section, both tenors improvise at leisure in "Zootcase", the only theme in which Kai Winding does not appear. Note that in the four titles (except "The Red Door") Zoot is the first soloist. In the original liner notes, Ira Gitler indicated:

The stars of this LP are Zoot Sims and Al Cohn, two tenormen who have very few peers in jazz today. They have often been allied before: in Woody Herman's great "Four Brothers" band, briefly with Artie Shaw, a stint in a short lived three tenor group with Stan Getz, the memorable "Five Brothers" recording date and numerous private sessions. During this long association, an enjoyment of, and respect for each other's playing was engendered. Therefore, it was not surprising that this session, with the two complementing and inspiring one another brought forth music of multi-faceted merit.

Both Al and Zoot play in the tradition of the already inmortal Lester Young, but rather than producing carbons of Pres, they show they have learned from him and integrated the qualities they heard into their playing without subverting their individual personalities. Zoot is the free wheeler. His short, booting, momentum gathering phrases are joined adroitly by longer lines. Al possesses a wonderful change of pace. His swing comes up from behind the beat. The solos have marvelous structure. Occasionally he will punctuate with long plaintive note. This characteristic led one observer, "on" the jazz scene, to state "no one can moan like Al Cohn".

The "magic" sound belongs to Zoot. His solos have a consistency of textura. Al's sound voices his ideas with a finish. At times, it becomes so large that it seems to go though and envelop you all at once.

Rhythm sections are sometimes taken for granted. This one swings so insistently that there is no danger of this happening. Art Blakey's infectious drumming, George Wallington's booting chords and Percy Heath's persuasion of swing are blended into a dynamic base that contributes tremendously to the excellence of these sides.

The session of the 23rd of January 1953 is a genuine rarity. In the first place, for the obscure quartet which backs Zoot on this occasion, beginning with an unknown organist in what could be said was an anticipation of the kind of groups with organ that Jimmy Smith would make all the rage a couple of years later. But above all because the four themes recorded that day were put out originally on a 7" EP disc, and have never been reissued until 1995.

Zoot Sims

The Complete 1944 -1954 Small Group Sessions

Volume 3 • 1952 - 1953

1- A Ghost Of A Chance

(Crosby, Washington, Young)

2 - Vilia

(Franz Lehar)

3 - Tangerine

(Schertzinger, Mercer)

4 - Zootcase

(Zoot Sims)

5 - The Red Door

(Zoot Sims)

6 - Morning Fun

(Sims, Cohn)

7 - There, I've Said It Again

(Evans, Mann)

8 - Jaguar

(Johnny Smith)

9 - Dream

(J. Mercer)

10 - Baby Won't You Please Come Home

(Clarence Williams)

11 - Sidewalks Of Cuba

(Oakland, Parish, Mills)

12 - Prospecting

(Chuck Wayne)

13 - Tasty Puddin

(Al Cohn)

14 - While My Lady Sleeps

(Bronislaw Kaper)

15 - My Funny Valentine

(Rodgers, Hart)

16 - Cavu

(Johnny Smith)

17 - I'll Be Around

(Alec Wilder)

#1, #2: Johnny Smith Quintet

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Sanford Gold (piano),

Johnny Smith (guitar), Eddie Safranski (bass), Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April, 1952

#3 to #6: Zoot Sims Sextet

Zoot Sims, Al Cohn (tenor saxes); Kai Winding (trombone);

George Wallington (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Art Blakey (drums).

Recorded in New York City,September 8, 1952

#7 to #10: Zoot Sims Quintet

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Chester Slater (organ),

Chauncey "Lord" Westbrook (guitar), Peck Morrison (bass), Tim Kennedy (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 23, 1953

#11 to #14: Chuck Wayne Quintet

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Harvey Leonard (piano),

Chuck Wayne (guitar), George Duvivier (bass), Ed Shaughnessy (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 13, 1953

#15: Johnny Smith Quintet

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Sanford Gold (piano),

Johnny Smith (guitar), Eddie Safranski (bass), Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded in New York City, June 6, 1953

#16, #17: Johnny Smith Quintet

Johnny Smith (guitar), Arnold Fishkin (bass), Don Lamond (drums).

Recorded in New York City, July, 1953

• The Jazz School •

A nice bop compilation featuring three different sessions as below:

Art Mardigan Sextet featuring John Williams on piano: a refreshing bop session with unique sound colour; Paul Gonsalves Sextet featuring Clark Terry: a bit corny, but also a nice mainstream session; and two tracks by Joe Gordon Quintet: Gordon's brilliant trumpet blows so great, and Art Blakey's propulsive rhythm gives the entire mood of this great hard-bop session.

Strictly personal rating (to what extent I could enjoy this album); 8 out of 10.

*Matsubayashi "Shaolin" Kohji [microgroove.jp]*

There are sixteen students in this class of the Jazz School; sixteen young men whose grades are impeccable, whose studies have clearly qualified them for a successful and distinguished career. 

At the head of the class for the first four exercises is a member of the drums Corps, a familiar figure by the name of Arthur Mardigan.

Art is a native Detroiter, born in December, 1923 and a name band musician since the age of nineteen, when he joined Tommy Reynolds. After Army service in 1943-44 he spent a year with Georgie Auld's group, then went home to Detroit for a while before entering the New York scene, where he was a part of many noteworthy 52nd Street combos under the leadership of Charlie Parker, Dexter Gordon, Allen Eager and Kai Winding. In addition, Art worked off and on with Woody Herman and Elliot Lawrence. In 1954, when Pete Rugolo came east to form a band for a tour, Art was a cornerstone of that all-star ensemble.

Featured with Art on his four performances here are Don Joseph, a cornetist who's been a familiar figure around New York jazz circles for several years; Milt Gold, a trombonist who has seen service with such name bands as Stan Kenton's and Claude Thornhill's; and Al Cohn, the tenor saxophonist and arranger who has been rising rapidly to jazz eminence in the past year. Heard with Mardigan in the rhythm section are John Williams, the 25-year-old pianist from Windsor, Vermont, best known for his work with Stan Getz; and Teddy Kotick, a 27-year-old bass man who has been prominent on the New York scene with Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, Buddy De Franco and a flock of other combos. 

Class dismissed.

A new group moves in: at the head of this class is Paul Gonsalves, tenor saxophonist from Brockton, Massachusetts. Raised in Pawtucket, R.I., Paul started his musical life as a guitarist at the age of sixteen, in 1936; later, switching to tenor saxophone, he became popular as a featured member of the Sabby Lewis orchestra, a well known Boston group, with which he made his record debut.

A three-year hitch in the Army, from 1942 to '45, was followed by a stint in the Count Basie orchestra, and a brief fling in Dizzy Gillespie's final big band. Then, early in 1951, Paul joined the great Duke Ellington orchestra, of which, except for a few weeks in Tommy Dorsey's band in 1953, he has been a member ever since. 

Paul's colleagues on this, his first record session under his own leadership, include Clark Terry, another great Ellingtonian of several years standing and sitting; Porter Kilbert, baritone saxophonist, who worked briefly on alto with Ellington in 1951; Junior Mance, a gifted 27-year-old pianist from Chicago, best known for the fine work he has done as Dinah Washington's accompanist; Eugene Miller on drums; and the inimitable, poll-winning bassist of erstwhile Woody Herman fame, Greig Stewart "Chubby" Jackson. 

... dismissed...

Time now for graduation exercises. The class is headed by Joseph Henry Gordon, another brilliant New Englander on the modern jazz scene. Born in 1928 in Boston, Joe worked as a sandwich boy on the Boston-Albany railroad as recently as 1947, but later in that same year made his professional bow with his own combo at Boston's Savoy Ballroom, where the above-named Sabby Lewis was a frequent favorite. Joe also worked as a sideman with Sabby, as well as with a variety of other groups, from Georgie Auld to Charlie Mariano, from Charlie Parker to Lionel Hampton.

Heard with Joe on these sides are Charlie Rouse, a tenor man from Washington, D.C., who was with Duke Ellington in 1949-'50; Junior Mance, reappearing on piano; Jimmy Schenck on bass; and the pride of Pittsburgh, winner of the 1953 New Star award in the critics’ poll, Art Blakey on drums.

So these are the men you will meet in the Jazz School. It seems superfluous to point out that every last man of these sixteen students has graduated, as he deserves to, summa cum laude. 

*(from the liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - I've Found A New Baby

(Plamer, Williams)

2 - Moroccan Blues

(Al Cohn)

3 - Old Gold

(Milt Green)

4 - Golden Touch

(Quincy Jones)

5 - Evening Lights

(Joe Gordon)

Side 2

6 - It Don't Mean A Thing

(Mills, Ellington)

7 - Take Nine

(Paul Gonsalves)

8 - Everything Happens To Me

(Adair, Dennis)

9 - Don't Blame Me

(Fields, McHugh)

10 - Body And Soul

(Heyman, Sour, Green, Eyton)

#1 to #4: Art Mardigan Sextet

Don Joseph (cornet), Milt Gold (trombone), Al Cohn (tenor sax), John Williams (piano), Teddy Kotick (bass), Art Mardigan (drums).

Recorded in New York City, May 20, 1954.

#6 to #9: Paul Gonsalves Sextet

Clark Terry (trumpet), Porter Kilbert (alto sax), Paul Gonsalves (tenor sax), Junior Mance (piano), Chubby Jackson (bass), Eugene Miller (drums).

Recorded (probably) in Chicago, Illinois, February 6, 1954.

#5 and #10: Joe Gordon Quintet

Joe Gordon (trumpet), Charlie Rouse (tenor sax), Junior Mance (piano), Jimmy Schenck (bass), Art Blakey (drums).

Recorded at Fine Sound Studio, New York City, September 3 (#10) and 8 (#5), 1954.

 

The Amazing Sound Of Toots Thielemans

Jean Toots Thielemans arrived in the U.S. from his native Belgium in 1951. His first works in jazz were as a guitarist, instrument on which he achieved recognition as soon as he joined the George Shearing Quintet in late 1952. However, he was also a skilful harmonica player.

The present selection was intended to introduce the several facets of the instrument as exposed by Toots Thielemans thorough musicianship, his swing, and his unique achievements in versatility. For him, the ingredients of jazz are the beat (the motor) and sound, melody, and harmony (the intelligence). In this collection you will find Toots playing harmonica on every track, and even overdubbing guitar solos on four of them. With feats like this, not only he proved that jazz is a music of many moods, but he also brought a new perspective to the use of the harmonica in the jazz field; because one thing is certain: he can make it swing! *Jordi Pujol*

Jean "Toots" Thielemans

The Amazing Sound Of "Toots" Thielemans

This CD contains the music from two old long-playing records by Toots Thielemans. This concerns The Sound and Time out for Toots from 1955 and 1958 respectively.

Our man was initially mainly active as a guitarist in the United States. I think everyone will be familiar with his role in the George Shearing Quintet of the 1950s. Gradually the harmonica came into more and more action, often in unison with the guitar. That is also the case here. Guitar and harmonica are often heard together. However, the guitar part here was played later. The harmonica is definitely the center of attention.

Thanks to Toots, the small instrument gained a serious place in jazz. When listening to this material it immediately becomes clear what appealed to people about this music at the time. Everything testifies to an unmistakable swing and an indomitable zest for life. The choice of repertoire may lead some people to suspect that it is easy listening pop music from the old days. Nothing is less true. What we hear is jazz of the highest order from the time when jazz was still a mainstream music direction and not a somewhat obscure niche for connoisseurs. It is pleasantly listenable, accessible, modern jazz with a touch of bop here and there. Fans of good guitar playing, refined harmonica playing and Toots in general will find much to enjoy here. He explained the success of his way of playing the harmonica in an interview in Down Beat in 1953 as follows: "The basic thing is that I play the harmonica as an instrument, not a toy". *Jo Beckers*

If this collection proves that jazz is music of many moods, it also proves that jazz is a music which knows no boundaries... of nations of instruments.

It brings a new perspective to that mush-maligned instrument, the harmonica. And adds a new dimension to Thielemans, who can cerrainly make it swing. *Dom Cerulli*

1 - On The Alamo

(Kahn, Jones)

2 - Don't Be That Way

(Goodman, Sampson, Parish)

3 - I Put All The Eggs In One Basket

(Berlin)

4 - Sophisticated Lady

(Ellington, Parish, Mills)

5 - Scotch On The Rocks

(Thielemans)

6 - I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

(Ellington, Nemo, Redmond, Mills)

7 - Stars Fell Of Alabama

(Parish, Perkins)

8 - Diga Diga Doo

(McHugh, Fields)

9 - So Rare

(Sharpe, Herst)

10 - Skylark

(Carmichael, Mercer)

11 - Sonny Boy

(Brown, Henderson, DeSylva, Jolson)

12 - Cocktails For Two

(Coslow, Johnston)

13 - The Nearness Of You

(Carmichael, Washington)

14 - In A Sentimental Mood

(Ellington, Kustz, Mills)

15 - You Took Advantage Of Me

(Rodgers, Hart)

16 - Cool And Easy

(Thielemans)

17 - Body And Soul

(Green, Sour, Heyman, Eaton)

18 - The Cuckoo In The Clock

(Donaldson, Mercer)

19 - Tangerine

(Mercer, Schertzinger)

20 - Early Autumn

(Burns, Herman, Mercer)

21 - Them There Eyes

(Pinkard, Tracey, Tauber)

22 - A Handful Of Stars

(Shapiro, Lawrence)

23 - Can't Lovin' Dat Man

(Kern, Hammerstein II)

24 - Clap Yo' Hands

(G. and I. Gershwin)

#1 to #12 from the 12" album The Sound (Columbia CL658)

Toots Thielemans (harmonica) with:

#3, #6, #10, #12:

Lou McGarity, Al Godlis, Billy Rauch, Jack Satterfield (trombones); Tony Mottola (guitar), Oscar Pettiford (bass); Cliff Leeman (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 1955.

#1, #4, #7, #9:

Toots Mondello, Artie Beck (alto sax, clarinet); Carl Prager (baritone sax, clarinet); George Berg (tenor sax, clarinet); Tony Mottola (guitar), Oscar Pettiford (bass); Cliff Leeman (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 1955.

#2, #5, #8, #11

Ray Bryant (piano), Wendell Marshall (bass), Bill Clark (drums).

Recorded in New York City, April 1955.

#13 to #24 from the 12" album Time Out For Toots (Decca DL9204)

Toots Thielemans (harmonica, guitar [#18, #20, #21, #22]) with:

#14, #16, #19, #23: 

Hank Jones (piano), Doug Watkins (bass), Art Taylor (drums).

Recorded in New York City, January 22, 1958.

#13, #17, #18, #22:

Urbie Green, Billy Byers, Chauncey Welsch, Santos Russo (trombones); Hank Jones (piano); Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Doug Watkins (bass); Art Taylor (drums); Ralph Burns (arranger).

Recorded in New York City, January 24, 1958.

#15, #20, #21, #24:

Al Cohn, Zoot Sims (tenor saxes); Al Epstein, Danny Bank (baritone saxes); Hank Jones (piano); Barry Galbraith (guitar); Doug Watkins (bass); Art Taylor (drums); Ralph Burns (arranger).

Recorded in New York City, January 24, 1958.