Sam Most... ★1957★

Sam Most Orchestra And Sextet

Sam Most Plays Bird, Bud, Monk And Miles

It's a fairly safe guess that in years to come the names of Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Theolonius Monk and Miles Davis will induce a reverential ring for that generation just as Emmett Hardy, Buddy Bolden and Joe "King" Oliver do in ours. The twin advantages that our latter-day saints have on their predecessors are the improvements in recording techniques and the interest of men like Sam Most in perpetuating their memory.

It may seem strange to speak of glorification of men who, with one exception, are still an integral part of the creative music mold. The fact is, however, that we are some 17 years into the neo-Minton's era which, relatively speaking, calls for a second look at some of its extraordinary contributors.

In the slightly more than two years since his death, the name and accomplishments of Charlie "Bird" Parker have become almost Bunyanesque. Not only his revolutionary alto playing, which has become an indisputable standard for today's neophytes, but his brilliantly conceived riffs and melodies which are guaranteed immortality. "Bird" had "a way with a tune" that continues to astound the most seasoned jazz fan.

To greater or lesser extents, this same is true of Bud Powell and Theolonius Monk who have thoroughly altered the concept of jazz piano; and of Miles Davis whose style of introverted trumpeting has been sheer delight for more than a decade. As a by-product of their collective talents, these men have fashioned some of the most refreshingly original jazz lines ever heard.

As a musician, Sam Most is ever alert to the need of broadening the vistas of jazz. Hitting. upon the format of this LP, he resolved to present two compositions by each man in totally different settings. Half the LP is given to a big band with many soloists; the rest is a small, intimate group which so readily lends itself to the spontaneity of jazz.

Selecting an arranger for the big band sides was of paramount importance in the preparation of this LP. Most felt that the sextet items would run off by themselves with Little difficulty, but the 16-piece aggregation needed the skill of a man who fully understood the nature of the compositions and the musicians engaged to perform them. 

Thus Bob Dorough was selected, not alone to pen the charts, but to act as pianist/conductor for the sessions. In this capacity, he literally ran the show, and the vitality of these sides is the direct result of his sound musicianship.

⁂

In retrospect, this disc offers a permanency beyond the musical gems captured thereon. With the assistance of other musical minds and talents, Sam Most has completed a dedicatory volumen which chronicles for posterity some of the major jazz contributions of our era. Your approbation is the final chapter. *Joe Quinn (liner notes)*

Sam Most in two wonderful settings — a large group on half the record, then a smaller combo with David Schildkraut on tenor, Bob Dorough on piano, and Tommy Potter on bass! Sam plays clarinet throughout, but uses some of the phrasing he'd be more likely to employ with a saxophone — a practice that makes the album a great showcase for Most's really unique talents on his instrument. And although the title might make you think the whole thing's a bop rehash record, the arrangements are pretty darn inventive — and really help bring new life into tunes that include "Serpent's Tooth", "Celia", "Bluebird", "Strictly Confidential", and "In Walked Bud" — especially from Sam's solos, and the trumpet work of Doug Mettome. *Dusty Groove, Inc.*

1 - Strictly Confidential

(Bud Powell)

2 - Half Nelson

(Miles Davis)

3 - 'Round Midnight

(Hanighen, Monk, Williams)

4 - In Walked Bud

(Thelonious Monk)

5 - Serpent's Tooth

(Miles Davis)

6 - Celia

(Bud Powell)

7 - Confirmation

(Charlie Parker)

8 - Bluebird

(Charlie Parker)

Sam Most Orchestra: (#1, #3 , #5, #8):

Chuck Harmon, Ed Reider, Doug Mettome, Al Stewart, Don Stratton (trumpets); 

Jim Dahl, Bill Elton, Frank Rehak (trombones); Sam Most (clarinet);

Dick Meldonian, Dave Schildkraut (alto saxes); Ed Wasserman (tenor sax);

Marty Flax (baritone sax); Bob Dorough (piano); Oscar Pettiford (bass); Paul Motian (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 6, 1957

Sam Most Sextet (#2, #4, #6, #7):

Doug Mettome (trumpet), Sam Most (clarinet), Dave Schildkraut (alto sax),

Bob Dorough (piano), Tommy Potter (bass), Paul Motian (drums).

Recorded in New York City, March 7, 1957

Phil Sunkel - His Jazz Band And His Music

Phil Sunkel II born as Philip Charles Sunkel, Jr. on November 26, 1925 in Zanesville, Ohio.

After serving in the Army in WWII at age 18 (combat and playing trumpet for the Army Band) overseas, he returned home and went to the Cincinnati Conservatory on the G.I. Bill where he honed his trumpet, flugelhorn, and cornet skills. He ended up in New York City in the 1950's and 60's, which was an exciting and vibrant time for jazz. In addition to albums of his own Jazz Concerto Grosso, and Every Morning I Listen to Phil Sunkel's Jazz Band, he appeared live and on numerous jazz albums as a sideman with the likes of Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Gil Evans, Tito Rodriguez, Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie, Sauter-Finegan, Claude Thornhill, Charlie Barnet, Dick Meldonian, and many others. He was the trumpet player on the Merv Griffin Show in the early 1960's and played with the Playboy Club Orchestra for seven years, he played at numerous resorts, and played for Broadway musicals. He died on February 27, 2023 in his sleep in a nursing home in Queens, New York. *Walter Bruyninckx*

Phil Sunkel, cornet and trumpet player, was born in 1925 in Zanesville, Ohio. He played with the Claude Thornhill, Charlie Barnet, Stan Getz, Sauter-Finegan, Gerry Mulligan, Gil Evans and Tito Rodriguez bands. Leaving his role as a soloist aside, Phil mainly stood out as an arranger and composer of talent, being these recordings his most celebrated works and the only ones he did as a leader.

My idea of a jazzband, he said is something between a small combo and a big band incorporating the good features of both. Here we have the flexibility of a small group which allows the soloist a maximum of freedom, plus the color and drama produced by the different ensemble sounds.

The further possibilities of using a three voice group superimposed on a similarly conceived orchestral backdrop originated Sunkels most ambitious and outstanding work: "Jazz Concerto Grosso". *Jordi Pujol*

Phil Sunkel's name is unjustly missing from a lot of jazz reference works, though his considerable resume as a sideman includes recordings with Hal McKusick, Al Cohn, Lawrence Brown, Urbie Green, Gerry Mulligan, Erroll Garner, Jimmy Giuffre, Lee Konitz and Gil Evans, to name only a few. This first-call trumpeter evidently only made two records as a leader, both of them for ABC-Paramount in the mid-'50s. This album was the first under his own name, with a tentet including baritone saxophonist Gene Allen, alto saxophonist Dick Meldonian, trombonist Gene Hessler, and trumpeter Al Stewart. Sunkel's precise trumpet solos never fail to swing yet don't resort to showboating. His cool arrangements are comparable to those of Gerry Mulligan and Bob Brookmeyer, with most of the music devoted to Sunkel's tasty originals. *Ken Dryden*

Phil Sunkel's Jazz Band

Every Morning I Listen To... Phil Sunkel's Jazz Band

My idea of a jazzband is something between a small combo and a big band incorporating the good features of both. Here we have the flexibility of a small group which allows the soloist a maximum of freedom, plus the color and drama produced by the different ensemble sounds.

All the arrangements here were conceived with the purpose in mind of creating vehicles for the soloists ideas. Backgrounds were kept at a minimum and used only where they would enhance rather than distort the soloists ideas.

This album was recorded in three separate sessions — May 13, May 23, and June 14, 1956 in New York City. The same personnel was used throughout. Our intentions were to produce some happy spirited music. We had fun making this album and we hope you enjoy it.

*Phil Sunkel (liner notes)*

The set features a tight brace of three trumpets in the lead, alongside trombone, alto, tenor, and baritone — almost an extension of the sounds crafted at the tail end of the swing years, but with some nice modernist inflections too — somewhere in a space between Woody Herman and Stan Kenton, with lots of nice hues and tones in the horns. *dustygroove.com*

Side 1

1 - Jack's Theme

(Phil Sunkel)

2 - Polka Dots And Moonbeams

(Van Heusen, Burke)

3 - Train Ride

(Phil Sunkel)

4 - Old Wives' Tales

(Phil Sunkel)

5 - Every Mornin'

(Phil Sunkel)

Side 2

6 - How Strange

(Prozorowsky, Brent, Stothart, Kahn)

7 - The Animal Man

(Phil Sunkel)

8 - Chomp, Chomp Blues

(Phil Sunkel)

9 - Joe, The Architect

(Phil Sunkel)

10 - T. Blues

(Phil Sunkel)

Phil Sunkel, Al Stewart, Siggy Shatz (trumpets); Gene Hessler (trombone); Dick Meldonian (alto sax); Buddy Arnold (tenor sax); Gene Allen (baritone sax); George Syran (piano); Bob Petersen (bass); Harold Granowsky (drums).

Recorded in New York City, May 13, May 29 and June 14, 1956.

***

Gerry Mulligan And Bob Brookmeyer

Play Phil Sunkel's Jazz Concerto Grosso

I have always been fascinated by the acoustical and rhythmic possibilities of three voice writing. My first opportunity to do something professional in this direction came in 1955 when I joined the Stan Getz Sextet. Stan had previously commissioned me to write some things for his quintet and it was from this material that I now drew and enlarged upon to meet the needs of the new group. The instrumentation was valve trombone, cornet, and tenor backed by bass, drums and piano. The soft broad qualities of the valve trombone and cornet blended well with Stan's warm tenor sound and the resulting textures proved ideal for the moody intimate type things I had written.

My intentions were to retain the harmonic framework of these little songs while injecting a linear feeling into each of the individual horn parts. To do this, each voice 

was made to fall naturally and uncontrived and so designed rhythmically as to sustain the pulse and present a completeness within themselves. The bass, drums and 

piano served to underline, punctuate, and reinforce this linear harmonic activity. The further possibilities of using a three voice group superimposed on a similarly conceived orchestral backdrop soon presented itself as an interesting project for future consideration. 

About a year ago I hit upon a theme that seemed to be of a character suitable for this expanded type of treatment. 

The stark simplicity of its obvious construction made it perfect raw material for the compositional presentation I had in mind. Standing alone, this musical fragment had a naked, self-conscious air; but, after being melodically extended and placed in context, it suddenly took on a noble, earthy quality. This was exactly what I was looking for and with this good strong basic material at hand the piece began to shape itself. 

Now that the whole thing was straight in my own mind I presented the idea to the record company. Creed Taylor was immediately enthusiastic and suggested that I sound Gerry Mulligan and Bob Brookmeyer to appear as soloists. Gerry and Bob liked the idea and their acceptance pushed the work toward its final stages. The members of the band were chosen, the date set, and all that remained was the completion of the score. 

The sketches and fragments that had accumulated over the last year now shaped themselves into a meaningful whole, and we recorded the finished work on October 14, 1957.

*Phil Sunkel (liner notes)*

Although Gerry Mulligan and Bob Brookmeyer get top billing on this LP, the leader, composer, and arranger of all three compositions is cornetist Phil Sunkel. The full 15-piece band is heard on the nearly 16-minute "Jazz Concerto Grosso", with the full band supporting the solos of Mulligan (baritone sax), Brookmeyer (valve trombone), and the leader. The shorter pieces from the following day's session feature a septet with totally different personnel, except for the three major soloists. All of the music is enjoyable and falls clearly into the cool jazz genre, but it has languished in obscurity like Sunkel, though he was later a member of the acclaimed Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band. This long deleted record will be somewhat difficult to locate. *Ken Dryden*

Side 1

1 - Jazz Concerto Grosso

Side 2

2 - Something For The Ladies

3 - Song For Cornet

(All compositions by Phil Sunkel)

#1:

Phil Sunkel (cornet); Nick Travis, Al Stewart, Don Stratton, John Wilson (trumpets); Frank Rehak (trombone); Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Eddie Bert (bass trombone); Don Butterfield (tuba); Dick Meldonian (alto sax); Cliff Hoff, Bill Slapin (tenor saxes); Gerry Mulligan, Gene Allen (baritone saxes); Milt Hinton (bass); Osie Johnson (drums).

#2 and #3:

Phil Sunkel (cornet), John Wilson (fluegelhorn), Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone), Jim Reider (tenor sax), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Wendell Marshal (bass), Harold Granowsky (drums).

Recorded in New York City, October 14 (#1) and October 15 (#2, #3), 1957.

Machito - Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite

Machito (born Francisco Raúl Gutiérrez Grillo, December 3, 1909 – April 15, 1984) was a Latin jazz musician who helped refine Afro-Cuban jazz and create both Cubop and salsa music.He was raised in Havana with the singer Graciela, his foster sister.

In New York City, Machito formed the Afro-Cubans in 1940, and with Mario Bauzá as musical director, brought together Cuban rhythms and big band arrangements in one group. He made numerous recordings from the 1940s to the 1980s, many with Graciela as singer. Machito changed to a smaller ensemble format in 1975, touring Europe extensively. He brought his son and daughter into the band, and received a Grammy Award in 1983, one year before he died.

Machito's music had an effect on the careers of many musicians who played in the Afro-Cubans over the years, and on those who were attracted to Latin jazz after hearing him. George Shearing, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Cab Calloway and Stan Kenton credited Machito as an influence. An intersection in East Harlem is named "Machito Square" in his honor.

The famous producer/supervisor Norman Granz was said to get prompted by Stan Kenton's "Cuban Episode" recorded in early 1950. Then Mr. Granz started to record Afro-Cuban flavoured jazz albums using Cuban musicians.

This album is Mr. Granz's first attempt to an unique blend of Modern Jazz and Cuban rhythms, with the help of Machito (bandleader) and Chico O'Farrill (arranger). Collective personnel includes gorgeous members such as Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, Buddy Rich, Harry Edison et al. Their fruitful improvisations backed up with steady but swingy latin rhythms sounds so attractive.

Definitely one of the masterpiece in the jazz history. *microgroove.jp*

I have always been tremendously interested in Afro-Cuban rhythms and particularly those typified by Machito's Orchestra and by the arrangements done by Chico O'Farrill, who is probably the outstanding arranger in the United States today for that special musical form. I’ve always been curious, too, to see just how our jazzmen would fit into an Afro-Cuban orchestra. I tried this a couple of years ago on some single sides with Charlie Parker and Machito's orchestra and with Flip Phillips and Machito's orchestra, and the results were gratifying. This, however, is the first time that something serious has been done to fuse these two types of music together. I think, though, the best way to explain it is to let Chico O'Farrill, the conductor and composer of this Suite, tell you: "This work is the attempt to organize into a larger form various types of authentic Cuban dance music. I have purposely chosen rather contrasting material in order to emphasize the great variety of aspects offered by this particular branch of folkloric music — in my opinion one of the most interesting. I've also included a jazz episode, thus recognizing trends which started recently in both Cuban and North American music". 

The Suite is divided in two parts; the first part contains two sections subtitled "Cancion" and "Mambo" and the second part is subdivided in three sections: "6/8", "Jazz", and "Rhumba Abierta". The soloist are Flip Phillips on tenor saxophone; Charlie Parker on alto saxophone; and Buddy Rich on drums.

I trust you find this album as provocative and satisfying as we all did in making it.

*Norman Granz (liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - Cancion

2 - Mambo (part I)

3 - Mambo (part II)

Side 2

4 - 6/8

5 - Jazz

6 - Rhumba Abierta

(Composed, arranged and conducted by Chico O'Farrell)

Machito and his Orchestra:

Mario Bauzá, Frank "Paquito" Davilla, Harry Edison (trumpets); Al Stewart, Bob Woodlen (trumpets); -unknown- (cl); Gene Johnson, Charlie Parker, Fred Skerritt (alto saxes); Jose Madera, Flip Phillips (tenor saxes); Sol Rabinowitz (tenor sax, baritone sax); Leslie Johnakins (baritone sax); Rene Hernandez (piano); Roberto Rodriguez (bass); Buddy Rich (drums); Rafael Miranda, Chano Chino Pozo (congas); Jose Mangual (bongo); Ubaldo Nieto (timbales); Machito (maracas).

Recorded in New York City, December 21, 1950.