Five-Star Collection... Bill Holman

Bill Holman

Big Band In A Jazz Orbit

Bill Holman's compositions and arrangements are both experimental and basic at the same time; they never for one moment cease swinging, and yet their rhythmic complexities are brilliant. His harmonic sense is quite daring at times, and still his changes are comfortable and logical to play on. All his pieces have form and definite orderliness; they have strength and an underlying feeling of "There's something left in reserve, this isn't the climax yet". His voices are for the most part linear and his sections play a good deal in unison; however, the interweaving of the lines is so assured and musically sophisticated as to create a bigger harmonic sound than the thickest of chordal arranging. He builds his arrangements carefully and soundly and rarely succumbs to the screaming flag-waver ending so popular with many big bands. He has limited himself to the orthodox jazz instrumentation; trumpets, trombones, saxes and rhythm, but his knowledge of their possibilities is enormous. Being a highly talented instrumentalist himself, his arrangements are relatively easy to play. Everything lies well in the horns, a fact for which Bill is looked upon with gratitude by the playing musicians. He is very fond of the use of canonic imitation in his writing, and uses it to great advantage throughout this album. From a composer-arranger's point of view, he has already arrived at an enviable position: namely that his style is totally distinctive, recognizable, and personal; it is possible to say "That's Bill Holman" after listening to 8 bars of his music, and that is a very major accomplishment for a creative musician.

Bill Holman most assuredly is a first-rate saxophonist, but this true instrument is the orchestra, and he plays it with musicianship, honesty and brilliance. *André Previn (from the liner notes)*

While this, the second Holman big band set to be released in a year, lacks the compositional stature lent the first LP by his monumental work, The Big Street, it stands as an excellent album of modern big band jazz writing.

Thanks to the powerful rhythm section and the well-drilled ensemble, there is no dearth of rhythmic excitement. But the essence of musical interest lies in the imaginative quality of Holman's writing. One particularly interesting aspect of this set is the obvious Ellington-Strayhorn influence in certain portions of the ensemble work. This is evident — to this reviewer, anyway — in the saxes on No Heat and the massed brass effects on Kissin' Bug. It must be stressed, however, that these voicings are used not in imitation, but rather for effect where the overall character of the arrangement demanded them.

The composer ranges from utilizing an almost small band effect (on The Man I Love) to sheer powerhouse ensemble sound (as on Aura, for example) . Yet, for all the complexity of the arrangements, there is ample room for solo blowing and the various horn men use it well. Fontana solos only twice in the entire album, on The Man I Love and After You've Gone. Sheldon plays all the jazz trumpet, from fast glittering open horn lines to moody, muted statements blown right into the mike in the Davis manner. Holman has most of the tenor solos, although Kamuca is heard in relaxed statements on The Man I Love and Aura.

Space does not permit extended discussion of the playing of all soloists, unfortunately, but there is very little disappointment in the individual performances.

It is becoming increasingly evident to these ears that Holman and Gil Evans now emerge as the only two arranger-composers to come to prominence in recent years who have reached a point of maturity wherein their work is so completely individual that it becomes immediately recognizable. Each speaks with his own voice and, as the music on this album attests, Holman’s is eloquent indeed. Highly recommended. Also available on stereodisc.

*John A. Tynan (Down Beat, March 19, 1959 [5 stars])*

1 - Kissin' Bug

(Billy Strayhorn, Rex Stewart, Joya Sherrill)

2 - The Man I Love

(George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin)

3 - Goodbye

(Gordon Jenkins)

4 - You Go To My Head

(Jay Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie)

5 - After You've Gone

(Henry Creamer, Turner Layton)

6 - Far Down Below

(Bill Holman)

7 - No Heat

(Bill Holman)

8 - Theme & Variations #2

(Bill Holman)

9 - Aura

(Bill Holman)

Conte Candoli, Ed Leddy, Al Porcino,

Jack Sheldon [replaced by Stu Williamson on #3, #4, #9] (trumpets);

Carl Fontana, Frank Rosolino, Ray Sims (trombones); Herb Geller, Charlie Mariano (alto saxes);

Bill Holman (tenor sax); Richie Kamuca, Charlie Kennedy (tenor saxes);

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California,

February 11(#1, #2, #6), 12 (#5, #7, #8) and 13 (#3, #4, #9) 1958.

Five-Star Collection... John Graas (I)

John Graas

Jazz Studio #3

For some time, JOHN GRAAS, winner of the 1954 Metronome Poll, has been building a reputation as one of the most important modern jazz instrumentalists, and he has been doing it with an instrument usually found in the hallowed precincts of the symphony hall: the French Horn. For this he is to be congratulated, because he is welding one more link in the chain which binds all modern music, and helping to destroy the prejudices which have served no good purpose but to divide where there should be no division.

"JAZZ STUDIO 3: JOHN GRAAS" offers the listener the opportunity of witnessing the growth of the artist in other fields: those of composition and arranging. 

Since making his arranging debut in "JAZZ STUDIO 2", John's newly discovered writing talents have been much in demand. Many jazz soloists and recording companies 

have sought his product, but even more important, he has been commissioned, as a direct result of his work in "JAZZ STUDIO 2", to compose a Jazz Symphony. Portions 

of this work will appear here. "JAZZ STUDIO 3" is glad to show-case Graas' writing talent in a stage of its development which will be all the more apparent to those who 

were first impressed by his flair for contrapuntal invention as illustrated by "GRAAS POINT", considered by many the high point of "STUDIO 2". *Tom Mack (liner notes)*

Decca's third Jazz Studio set is devoted to the composition and arrangements of French horn expert John Graas. The selections are played by a septet, quartet, and ninetet. The overall personnel comprises Graas, Gerry Mulligan, Don Fagerquist, Red Mitchell, Larry Bunker, Marty Paich, Howard Roberts, Charlie Mariano, Conte Candoli, Zoot Sims, Jimmy Giuffre, Andre Previn, and Curtis Counce. The material covers a refreshingly wide range beginning with a briskly swinging tribute to Mulligan. My Buddy is resurrected from the land of bathos and turns up in a lyrically imaginative quartet arrangement marked by some excellent interlinear play by Mulligan and Graas. The 6/4 framework comes off jumping and the Charleston shakes off its age under Graas' deftly hip hand to end the first side.

Rogeresque is another bright and effective tribute. From Graas' forthcoming Symphony No. 1 in F Minor, commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony, nine men play the sonata allegro and the atonal scherzo. I don’t know whether this will sound as free and idiomatic when scored for full symphony orchestra and jazz soloists, but as of the way it comes through here, these two sections indicate that Graas is constructing a largely fresh, vital work — one that, though somewhat eclectic, already carries much more individualized conviction than the overrated Liebermann Concerto for Jazz Band and Symphony Orchestra. The set closes with an incisive modernization of 12th Street Rag.

The playing by everyone on the date is excellent, and Graas gets the full rating because of the scope of his imagination and his ability to write modern jazz frameworks that, for the most part, challenge the soloists rather than constrict them. Not everything comes off wholly here, but so much of worth and individuality is going on that the set deserves a wide audience.

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, June 1, 1955 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Mullinganesque

(John Graas)

2 - My Buddy

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

3 - 6/4 And Even

(John Graas)

4 - Charleston

(Cecil Mack, Jimmy Johnson)

Side 2

5 - Rogeresque

(John Graas)

Jazz Sections From Symphony No.1 in F Minor

6 - a) Sonata Allegro

7 - b) Scherzo

(John Graas)

8 - 12th Street Rag

(Andy Razaf, Euday L. Bowman)

#1, #3:

John Graas (french horn), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax), Don Fagerquist (trumpet),

Marty Paich (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Red Mitchell (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

#2:

John Graas (french horn), Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax),

Red Mitchell (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

#4, #6, #7:

John Graas (french horn), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax), André Previn (piano),

Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Larry Bunker (drums). 

#5, #8:

John Graas (french horn), Conte Candoli (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Marty Paich (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Larry Bunker (drums). 

Recorded at Decca's Studio 55, Los Angeles, California,

December 16 (#1, #2, #3), 1954; January 6 (#4, #6, #7) and January 8 (#5, #8), 1955

Charlie Mariano On Bethlehem

In the 1950s, Charlie Mariano was one of the most promising of the bop-oriented altoists. His personnel here is consistent, with Mariano joined by pianist Claude Williamson, bassist Max Bennett, drummer Stan Levey, trombonist Frank Rosolino, and the cool-toned trumpeter Stu Williamson. The repertoire mixes together fairly basic group originals and swinging standards with many fine solos by the horns. An excellent example of Charlie Mariano's playing in the '50s.

Charlie Mariano

Charlie Mariano Plays

Altoist Charlie Mariano, active since the late Forties playing around his native Boston, became much better known through his stay at Stan Kenton's orchestra (1953-1955). He managed to assert his own individual quality and his own musical importance while keeping a deep-seated devotion to Charlie Parker. On these early sides, recorded in Los Angeles, Mariano blows with a great deal of emotion, authority, bite and consistency, showing why he became one of the most demanded studio sidemen in the West Coast (1953-1957) as well as one of the most important altoists in modern jazz since Charlie Parker.

⁂

The Hollywood studio sessions included in this CD were originally produced and released by Bethlehem Records. In the three of them, Charlie Mariano is backed by the same solidly-swinging rhythm section composed of Stan Levey on drums, Max Bennett on bass and Claude Williamson on piano, one of the more felicitous trios to come from the West Coast. The result of their effort and talent is a driving, swinging and thoughtful beat.

On these recordings Charlie Mariano reached new heights as a musician. In them, we begin hear a change in his style, a style that allowed him to assert his own individual quality and his own musical importance while keeping a deepseated devotion to Charlie Parker. Mariano blows with a great deal of emotion, authority, bite and consistency, showing why he became one of the most demanded studio sidermen in the West Coast as well as one of the most important altoists in modern jazz. *Jordi Pujol (liner notes)*

1 - 'S Nice

(Charlie Mariano)

2 - Chlo-E

(Moret, Kahn)

3 - Three Little Words

(Ruby, Kalmar)

4 - Green Walls

(Charlie Mariano)

5 - My Melancholy Baby

(Burnett, Norton)

6 - You Go To My Head

(Coots, Gillespie)

7 - Slugger

(Claude Williamson)

8 - There Will Never Be Another You

(Warren, Gordon)

9 - Sunday

(Coots, Grey)

10 - Sapphire

(Stu Williamson)

11 - Don't Get Around Much Anymore

(Ellington, Russell)

12 - Strike Up The Band

(G. and I. Gershwin)

13 - Just Max

(Max Bennett)

14 - Sweet Georgia Brown

(Bernie, Pinkard, Casey)

15 - I'll Never Smile Again

(Ruth Lowe)

16 - T.K.

(Tiny Kahn)

17 - Rubberneck

(Frank Rosolino)

18 - Jeppers Creepers

(Warren, Mercer)

#1 to #6: from the album Mariano (Bethlehem Records - BCP 1022)

Stu Williamson (trumpet), Frank Rosolino (trombone), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Claude Williamson (piano), Max Bennett (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, December 21, 1954

#7 to #12: from the album Saphire (Bethlehem Records - BCP 1024)

Stu Williamson (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Claude Williamson (piano), Max Bennett (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, January 18, 1955

#13 to #18: from the album Max Bennett (Bethlehem Records - BCP 1028)

Frank Rosolino (trombone), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Claude Williamson (piano), Max Bennett (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, January 27, 1955

Charlie Mariano - Part Of A Great Jazz Testament

Charlie Mariano (1923-2009), a Boston native born to Italian immigrants, discovered his passion for jazz in the late 1930s after being inspired by Lester Young and Johnny Hodges. He quickly  embraced the alto saxophone as his instrument and began jamming around Boston. Drafted in 1942, Mariano spent three years in an Army Air Corps band. Upon being discharged, he enrolled at Schillinger House to pursue his studies, but soon, influenced by the groundbreaking work of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, he also immersed himself in Boston's vibrant modern jazz scene of the late 1940s, joining Ray Borden's orchestra and also performing at venues such as Hi-Hat, Wally's Paradise, and Eddie Levine's club.

In 1949, Mariano became a key figure in Nat Pierce's band and recorded his first two sides as a leader on the local Motif label, showcasing his modern style, and although he gained some attention among jazz critics, Charlie was still relatively unknown outside of Boston.

It was not until he recorded the 10-inch album titled "The New Sounds from Boston" —which included trumpeter Joe Gordon— for the Prestige label in December 1951 that Mariano's talents as a composer, arranger, and soloist were introduced to jazz audiences across the country.

In 1953, he recorded four more excellent albums, with releases on Prestige, Fantasy, and two on the Imperial label, leading groups that included other Boston jazz legends such as Dick Twardzik, Herb Pomeroy, and Jaki Byard. Not content with being solely a performer, that year he co founded the Jazz Workshop, advocating for musical education and experimentation. In early January 1954, he embarked on a tour with Stan Kenton, eventually finding himself on the West Coast, where he spent the next four years actively participating in the thriving California jazz scene.

Under the title Boppin' In Boston, this compilation of recordings from 1947-1953 serves as a testament to the early years of Charlie Mariano's extensive career. Although he initially played too much like Bird to be regarded as individually distinctive, from 1951 Mariano began creating a distinct voice with his alto saxophone, combining the innovations of bebop language with his own unique style. His contributions to jazz, as a performer and educator, solidified his legacy as one of Boston's most celebrated and revered jazz musicians. *Jordi Pujol*

Charlie Mariano

Boppin' In Boston • 1947~1953

The Fresh Sound label from Barcelona, Spain has during the past couple of decades put out hundreds (probably thousands at this point) of superior jazz reissues, most from the 1945-1965 period. Thanks to the diligence of Jordi Pujol, a countless number of sessions have been saved from obscurity and been given the attention and packaging that they deserve.

Recent reissues include a pair of box sets featuring American saxophonists who first emerged during the classic bebop era. One of them dedicated to Charlie Mariano (1923-2009), a talented alto-saxophonist who was born, raised and often based in Boston. The two-CD set Boppin' In Boston • 1947~1953 has most of the highpoints from the first part of Mariano’s career. Starting with a ballad feature on “What’s New” with the Ray Borden Orchestra, Mariano is heard with groups (including a big band) led by pianist Nat Pierce and at the head of a variety of bop oriented combos. Among his sidemen are the forgotten but colorful bebop trumpeters Gait Preddy (whose career should have gone much further), Joe Gordon, Dick Collins, and Herb Pomeroy, trombonist Sonny Truitt, and pianists Roy Frazee (another talented but forgotten great), Dick Twardzik, Richard Wyands, and Jaki Byard. Mariano was clearly influenced by Charlie Parker, particularly during this era, but his own individual voice is heard gradually emerging. He would later spend time as a member of the Stan Kenton Orchestra, be part of the West Coast jazz scene in Los Angeles, and explore avant-garde jazz and fusion during his later years in Europe. Boppin’ In Boston shows that he was a very skilled player from the start.

This box set has extensive and definitive liner notes from Jordi Pujol along with superior sound. Highly recommended. *Scott Yanow*

* CD 1 *

1 - What's New

(Haggart-Burke)

2 - Boppin' In Boston

(Nat Pierce)

3 - Is This The Thing?

(Nat Pierce)

4 - Body Aand Soul

(Green, Sour, Heyman, Eyton)

5 - Sheba

(Charlie Mariano)

6 - Babylon

(Sonny Truit)

7 - King Edward The Flatted Fifth

(Chaloff, Burns)

8 - It Might As Well Be Spring

(Rodgers, Hammerstein II)

9 - King For A Day

(Fiorito, Lewis, Young)

10 - Boston Uncommon [Master A]

(Charlie Mariano)

11 - Boston Uncommon [Master B]

(Charlie Mariano)

12 - The Wizard [Master A]

(Charlie Mariano)

13 - The Wizard [Master B]

(Charlie Mariano)

14 - Mariners

(Charlie Mariano)

15 - Tzoris

(Charlie Mariano)

16 - Autumn In New York

(Vernon Duke)

17 - Aviary

(Charlie Mariano)

18 - Bye, Bye, Blues

(Hamm, Bennett, Lown, Gray)

19 - Bess, You Is My Woman

(G. and I. Gershwin)

20 - Barsac

(Charlie Mariano)

21 - Stella By Starlight

(Young, Washington)

22 - I'm Old Fashioned

(Kern, Mercer)

23 - Erosong

(Charlie Mariano)

#1: Ray Borden Big Band

Ray Borden, Gait Preddy, Bill Adams, Buddy Hartford (trumpets); 

ert Goodspeed, Joe Fine, Joe Laconi (trombones); 

Charlie Mariano, Sebastian Giacco (alto saxes);

Chuck Stentz, George Green (tenor saxes); Gordon Barrantine (baritone sax);

Nat Pierce (piano); Steve Hester (guitar); Frank Vaccaro (bass); Joe McDonald (drums).

Recorded at Ace Recording Studios, Boston, December 1947

#2 to #4: Charlie Mariano / Nat Pierce Sextet

Gait Preddy (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Nat Pierce (piano), Steve Hester (guitar), Frank Vaccaro (bass), Joe McDonald (drums).

Recorded at Ace Recording Studios, Boston, January 1948

#5 and #6: Charlie Mariano Octet

Don Stratton (trumpet), Mert Goodspeed (trombone),

Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Randy Henderson (tenor sax),

George Green (baritone sax), Nat Pierce (piano),

Frank Gallaguer (bass),Joe McDonald (drums).

Recorded in Boston, March 25, 1949

#7: Serge Chaloff / Ralph Burns Septet

Gait Preddy (trumpet), Mert Goodspeed (trombone),

Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Serge Chaloff (baritone sax),

Ralph Burns (piano), Frank Vaccaro (bass), Pete DeRosa (drums).

Recorded in Boston, July 7, 1949

#8: The Nat Pierce Orchestra

Don Stratton, Roy Caton, Bud Wilson, Dud Harvey (trumpets),

Bob Carr, Frank "Ace" Lane, Sonny Truitt (trombones),

Charlie Mariano, Dave Chapman (alto saxes),

Randy Henderson, Andie Pirie (tenor saxes), George Myers (baritone sax),

Nat Pierce (piano), Frank Gallaguer (bass), Joe McDonald (drums).

Recorded in Boston, November 1950

#9: Charlie Mariano / Nat Pierce Sextet

Sonny Truitt (trombone), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Nat Pierce (piano), Chet Kruley (guitar), Frank Gallagher (bass), Joe McDonald (drums).

Recorded in Boston, probably late 1950

#10 to #14: Charlie Mariano Octet

Joe Gordon (trumpet), Sonny Truitt (trombone), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Jim Clark (tenor sax), George Myers (baritone sax),

Roy Frazee (piano), Jack Lawlor (bass), Gene Glennon (drums).

Recorded in Boston, December 1951

#15: Charlie Mariano Sextet

Joe Gordon (trumpet), Sonny Truitt (trombone), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Roy Frazee (piano), Jack Lawlor (bass), Carl Goodwin (drums).

Recorded in December 1951

#16: Charlie Mariano Quartet

Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Roy Frazee (piano), Jack Lawlor (bass), Carl Goodwin (drums).

Recorded in December 1951

#17: Charlie Mariano Septet

Joe Gordon (trumpet), Sonny Truitt (trombone), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Jim Clark (tenor sax), Dick Twardzik (piano), Jack Lawlor (bass), Carl Goodwin (drums).

Recorded in Boston, December 1951

#18 to #23: Charlie Mariano Boston All Stars

Herb Pomeroy (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Dick Twardzik (piano, tom-tom [#20]), Bernie Griggs (bass), Jimmy Weiner (drums).

Recorded in Boston, January 27, 1953

* CD 2 *

1 - Come Rain Or Come Shine

(Arlen, Mercer)

2 - My Friend Ethel

(Sonny Truitt)

3 - After Coffee

(Sonny Truitt)

4 - Trouble Is A Man

(Alec Wilder)

5 - Let's Get Away From It All

(Dennis, Adair)

6 - The Thrill Is Gone

(Brown, Henderson)

7 - The Nymph

(Vince Guaraldi)

8 - I've Told Every Little Star

(Kern, Hammerstein II)

9 - Diane's Melody

(Jaki Byard)

10 - Harangue

(Herb Pomeroy)

11 - Sweet And Lovely

(Arnheim, Tobias)

12 - Ryan's Love

(Jack Crown)

13 - This Is Heaven

(Sherman Feller)

14 - How About You?

(Fred, Blane)

15- My Nancy

(Charlie Mariano)

16 - Jan

(Jack Crown)

17 - Chanticleer

(Jack Crown)

18 - Chopin Excerpts

(DP, Adap. Charlie Mariano)

19 - April Afternoon

(Mariano, Pomeroy)

20 - Chandra

(Jaki Byard)

21 - Sagapo

(Jaki Byard)

22 - When Your Lover Has Gone

(E.A. Swan)

23 - It's Magic

(Styne, Cahn)

24 - American Indian

(Herb Pomeroy)

#1 to #8: Charlie Mariano Sextet

Dick Collins (trumpet), Sonny Truitt (trombone), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Richard Wyands (piano), Vernon Alley (bass), Joe McDonald (drums).

Recorded in San Francisco, 1953

#9 to #24: Charlie Mariano Quintet

Herb Pomeroy (trumpet), Charlie Mariano (alto sax),

Jaki Byard (piano), Jack Carter (bass), Peter Littman (drums).

Recorded in Boston, November 1953

Howard Lucraft - Showcase For Modern Jazz

Until 1950, Mr. Lucraft was a 'name' band leader in England, and was featured regularly by the British Broadcasting Corporation, both with his band and as an arranger and commentator, etc. for many of the national jazz broadcasts. 

Since 1950, he has resided in Hollywood, functioning on both sides of the fence — as an arranger-composer for leading bands and groups, and as a critic and editorial representative for "Metronome" (U.S.A.), "Encyclopedia of Jazz", and "Melody Maker" (Great Britain). 

In 1954, jointly with Stan Kenton, he started JAZZ INTERNATIONAL. This is the famous world-wide organization of jazz enthusiasts and musicians whose chief purpose is the universal propagation of the art.

Mr. Lucraft is the producer of the "Jazz International Show" on radio, broadcast by over 100 radio stations throughout the United States and Canada, and director of a "Jazz International Show" for the Armed Forces Radio. The latter is said to have 100 million listeners in all parts of the world. In addition, Lucraft produced and hosted the "Jazz International" weekly TV show in Los Angeles.

*(Liner Notes)*

At the weekly meetings of the Hollywood chapter of the JAZZ INTERNATIONAL organization, it has been my privilege to present some of the greatest jazz artists in the world. This album features a large number of the star West Coast instrumentalists regularly involved. 

In writing all the music I tried to present these exciting musicians in some varying styles of modern jazz. The arrangements are simple with full freedom for the guys to express themselves. We tried to create good swinging, melodic and inventive jazz. *Howard Lucraft* 

Side 1

1 - Blue Moon

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

2 - I'll Never Say "Never Again" Again

(Harry Woods)

3 - California Zephyr

(Howard Lucraft)

4 - I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful)

(Henry Sullivan, Harry Ruskin)

5 - Larrissa

(Howard Lucraft)

Side 2

6 - Midnight Sun

(Sonny Burke, Lionel Hampton)

7 - Smog A La Mode

(Howard Lucraft)

8 - Jazz For Gene

(Howard Lucraft)

9 - Two Part Contention

(Dave Brubeck)

Howard Lucraft [a.k.a. John Doe] (leader, arranger and guitar [#1, #4, #5, #7]) with:

#1, #4, #7:

Bud Shank (alto sax, flute); Buddy Collette (clarinet, baritone sax); Red Mitchell (bass); Mel Lewis (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, June 24, 1957.

#3, #6, #9: 

Art Pepper (alto sax), Bob Cooper (tenor sax, oboe), Claude Williamson (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, July 8, 1957.

#2, #5, #8:

Charlie Mariano (alto sax, baritone sax); Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson (trumpets); Frank Rosolino (trombone); Pete Jolly (piano, accordion); Leroy Vinnegar (bass); Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, July 15, 1957.

Leonard Feather And Best From The West

Some of the finest West Coast jazz combo playing of late 1954 appears on Best From the West: Modern Sounds from California (Vols. 1 and 2). These albums were issued by Blue Note as a pair of 10-inch LPs. Frankly, there isn't a drop of filler here, and the playing and compositions, many of which are by Shorty Rogers, swing with a special richness and aggression. As Leonard Feather writes in the original album's liner notes, "this is a wailing set of performances". 

Volume 1 was released in early 1955 and marketed without the musicians' names. The plan was brilliant, actually. Several of the musicians on the date already had contractual commitments. Which presented Feather, the album's producer, with a problem. But rather than trying to thread a needle, Feather simply removed the needle. All of the artists' names were removed, and the record was positioned as a "blindfold test".

The goal was to put listeners through the same audio exam that Metronome magazine had been administering to jazz musicians since 1946 (and a nifty gimmick that continues in jazz publications today). Album-buyers were asked to guess who was playing. At the end of Volume 1's liner notes, Feather writes:

"We're curious to see which of Blue Note's customers, long noted for their astute jazz tastes and discernment, can come up with a complete or at least partially correct answer".

Listeners were urged to send their picks along to Blue Note's offices. Feather offered only six clues in his Volume 1 liner notes:

1. All the music on both LPs was recorded during the winter of 1954-55 in Hollywood, CA.

2. The music was recorded at three different sessions, using a total of 12 instruments, played by sixteen men and a girl (sic).

3. None of the musicians made his record debut on these sessions. In fact, most of them had recorded frequently before, and many are closely associated with the disarmingly amorphous entity known as "West Coast Jazz".

4. The musicians who composed the original material for these sessions did not necessarily take part as instrumentalists.

5. All 17 musicians can be heard if you listen to the three numbers entitled The Blindfold Test (actually three different themes based all based on the 12-bar blues format).

6. All the musicians can be heard on either side of either record.

Best From The West • Volume 1

Modern Sounds From California

1 - Santa Anita

(Shorty Rogers)

2 - Santa Monica

(Buddy Collette)

3 - The Blindfold Test No. 1

(Shorty Rogers)

4 - Culver City

(Shorty Rogers)

5 - The Blindfold Test No. 2

(Shorty Rogers)

6 - Hooray For Hollywood

(Whiting, Mercer)

#1 and #6:

Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, tenor sax), Herb Geller (alto sax), Lorraine Geller (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

#2 and #5:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, clarinet, baritone sax), Buddy Collette (alto sax, flute), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#3 and #4:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), John Graas (French horn), Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Marty Paich (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders Studio, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, December 31, 1954.

***

Volume 1 did not include the names of musicians on the date. But Volume 2, released soon afterward, did, thus revealing the mystery players. I have no idea why it was OK to announce the musicians' names in Volume 2 but not in Volume 1. My guess is that whatever releases Feather and Blue Note were seeking for the first album came through in time for the second album. If so, it's interesting how the Blue Note marketers positioned the inclusion of the names on a "blindfold test" album.

To keep the game interesting, the soloists on Blindfold Tests 1, 2 and 3 were not revealed. But since all of the musicians' names were listed on Volume 2, determining who was playing wasn't too much of a stretch-unless you were unfamiliar with the West Coast scene, which likely was the case for Blue Note's East Coast customer base.

While the two albums featured a wide range of musicians, the Conte Candoli sessions are particularly interesting. Recorded on December 31, 1954, the first group featured Conte Candoli (trumpet), John Graas (French horn), Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Marty Paich (piano), Monty Budwig (bass) and Stan Levey (drums).

The next group with Candoli featured Buddy Collette (flute and alto sax), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, clarinet and baritone sax), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass) and Stan Levey (drums).

The 10-inch albums featured yet another set of musicians recorded on the same day: Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone and tenor sax), Herb Geller (alto sax), Lorraine Geller (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums).

Among the many delightful surprises on these recordings are the early flute of Buddy Collette, superb clarinet work by Jimmy Giuffre, the piano of Lorraine Geller and beautiful, full jazz guitar work by Howard Roberts.

Compositions were mostly by Shorty Rogers, with one by Pete Rugolo and originals by musicians on the dates as well as a few standards.

As you listen to the recordings without looking at the personnel, what's instantly clear is the influence that Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie had on Candoli's playing during this period, before Miles Davis and Kenny Dorham made a much deeper impression.

These albums are a must-own for anyone who appreciates West Coast jazz under the influence of East Coast sensibilities and the intensity of Candoli's horn. *Marc Myers*

Best From The West • Volume 2

Modern Sounds From California

1 - Van Nuys Indeed

(John Grass)

2 - Here's Pete

(Pete Rugolo)

3 - The Blindfold Test No. 3

(Feather, Rogers)

4 - Burbank Bounce

(Marty Paich)

5 - Arcadia

(Leonard Feather)

6 - No Love, No Nothing

(Warren, Robin)

#1 and #4:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), John Graas (French horn), Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Marty Paich (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#2 and #6:

Conte Candoli (trumpet), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax, clarinet, baritone sax), Buddy Collette (alto sax, flute), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Stan Levey (drums).

#3 and #5:

Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone, tenor sax), Herb Geller (alto sax), Lorraine Geller (piano), Joe Mondragon (bass), Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders Studio, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, December 31, 1954.

Quincy Jones - Go West, Man!

In Southern California the evenings are cool, as many an Easterner has found out to his discomfort. But periodically the sequence of chilly dusks is broken by a hot, dry, sometimes rather nervous wind, that sweeps from the interior and changes the entire atmosphere of the area. Then you see the retired Idaho farmers sitting on their verandahs rocking back and forth and watching the traffic. 

They call this wind a Santa Ana. This album is NOT called a Santa Ana, but it does bring a warm, almost hot breeze to Southern California, or West Coast, jazz which shows that it need not always be cool. 

And it’s time some real effort was made to demonstrate to the world that everything recorded in the Hollywood studios is not more Brooks Brothers tan Madison Avenue and not more emotionally restrained than a London native in a room full of Americans. As Betty Roche wroje to Jimmy Lyons, whose nightly KNBC, San Francisco eee has been a breath of warmth in what has sometimes seemed a wilderness of cool sounds, "it's good to hear the swingers". 

Quincy Jones, who produced this album, selected the personnel, picked the instrumentation and arrangers, is a West Coast product himself — he’s from Chicago originally but settled in Seattle when he was 10 and was raised there. For that matter, most of the so-called West Coast musicians are originally from the East, or at least not the West, and they don't always play in that tight little style that has become known as West Coast. They can get pretty funky, especially, as Shelly Manne says, "if they’ve eaten enough in those all-night hamburger joints". 

In ten years of writing on jazz for Down Beat and in the San Francisco Chronicle, I have never known what "West Coast" was, really, except in terms of individuals and only then for a specific time and a specific performance. This album will do considerable good if it makes people realize, as I hope it does, that all winds do not blow cool on the Pacific Coast. Sometimes they blow hot, too. *Ralph J. Gleason (liner notes)*

There is a bit of mis-information surrounding this album, and I’ve seen more than one inaccurate review, so to clear up a few things first, Go West Man! is not a big band album and the arrangements on here are not by Quincy Jones. Although there is some good music on here, in some ways, this second album in Quincy Jones’ young career is somewhat of a disappointment. Jones’ first album was a great success and revealed a young big band arranger with some fresh new sounds, so I would imagine his new fans were disappointed to find out that Jones only served as a conductor and producer, not arranger, on his follow-up LP. There are three different mid-sized groups that Jones works with on here, including two groups led by saxophone summits and one group led by a trumpet quartet. All three groups have a piano, bass and drums rhythm section. Each of the three groups is given three songs which leads to nine songs total on the album if you are keeping score at home.

All three of these groups are very talented, but possible top honors goes to an all-star sax five-some that includes Art Pepper and Charlie Mariano. The west coast sax players are known for their silky smooth ensemble work, and this group is a good example. The liner notes claim the other sax group is made up of three tenors, but there is quite clearly a fourth man on baritone, and one of the supposed tenors sounds suspiciously high. The arrangements for the nine tracks were provided by Jimmy Giuffre, Lennie Niehaus and Charlie Mariano. “London Derriere”, with its striking sounds made up of trumpets with Harmon mutes, is the arrangement that sounds the most like Quincy. This album is recommended for fans of west coast jazz, there so much great saxophone playing on here, both in ensemble and in solos, but Quincy Jones fans may be disappointed by the somewhat misleading presentation and slap together nature of this album. *jazzmusicarchives.com*

Quincy turns his soul jazz arranging style to a band filled with West Coast players, and he gets them to groove a lot more than you'd expect! Players include Herb Geller, Art Pepper, Charlie Mariano, Bill Perkins, and Walter Benton. The tracks are short, with tight solo space, and most of them were written and arranged by West Coasters like Jimmy Giuffre, Lennie Niehaus, and Johnny Mandel. Titles include "Be My Guest", "London Derriere", "Kings Road Blues", "The Oom Is Blues", and "Bright Moon".  *dustygroove.com*

1 - Dancin' Pants

(Jimmy Giuffre)

2 - Blues Day

(Jimmy Giuffre)

3. Bright Moon

(Jimmy Giuffre)

4 - No Bones At All

(Johnny Mandell)

5 - The Oom Is Blues

(Charlie Mariano)

6. Be My Guest

(Lennie Niehaus)

7 - Medley: 

•What's New?

(Haggart, Burke)

•We'll Be Together Again 

(Fischer, Laine)

•Time On My Hands

(Adamson, Youmans, Gordon)

•You Go To My Head

(Coots, Gillespie)

•Laura

(Mercer, Raksin)

8 - London Derriere

(Johnny Mandel)

9 - Kings Road Blues

(Lennie Niehaus)

Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Jack Sheldon (trumpets [#2, #4, #8]); Benny Carter, Herb Geller, Charlie Mariano, Art Pepper (alto saxes [#1, #6, #9]); Pepper Adams (baritone sax [#3, #5, #7]); Walter Benton, Buddy Collette, Bill Perkins (tenor saxes [#3, #5, #7]); Lou Levy [#1, #6, #9], Carl Perkins [#2 to #5, #7, #8] (pianos); Red Mitchell [#1, #6, #9], Leroy Vinnegar [#2 to #5, #7, #8] (basses); Shelly Manne [#1, #3, #5, #6, #7, #9], Mel Lewis [#2, #4, #8] (drums).

Jimmy Giuffre, Johnny Mandel, Charlie Mariano, Lennie Niehaus (arrangements); Quincy Jones (conductor).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, February 25, 1957.

Russ Garcia - Wigville

Captivated by music during his early youth, composer, arranger and conductor Russ Garcia began writing prior to the age of ten and at eleven submitted an arrangement of "Stardust" to be performed by the Oakland Symphony Orchestra. A self-taught instrumentalist, he mastered the trumpet during his junior high school years and gained experience playing nightly at a hotel in San Francisco. After briefly attending San Francisco State University, he would be mentored by Mario Castelnuoyo-Tedesco and launch his career in Hollywood. His break came when he landed a job with NBC Radio as a staff composer and arranger, and following service with the US Army (with whom he was stationed in Europe), he returned to work as a music instructor in a Los Angeles-area school for several years. During the 1950s, Garcia moved onto motion pictures beginning with "Radar Secret Service" (1950), while contributing arrangements to the Charlie Chaplin film "Limelight" (1952) and "The Glenn Miller Story" (1954). He recorded the album "Wigville" (1955) and served as conductor and arranger for Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong's album "Porgy and Bess" (1957). This was followed by his acclaimed recording "Fantastica: Music From Outer Space" (1959). Garcia may perhaps be best remembered for his music score to the classic science-fiction film "The Time Machine" (1960) and from 1965 to 1966, he was the main contributor to the TV series "Laredo." After serving as an arranger with bandleader Stan Kenton, he abandoned his career in 1966, purchased a sail boat and with his wife embarked on a trip around the world. He settled in New Zealand after falling in love with the country and served as a conductor for their orchestra. Russ died on November 20, 2011. He was 95.

Wigville it's a tremendous, little-known album. Don't be put off by Russ' talk of tones and scales. It's as brisk and breezy as can be, and far removed from the ponderous Third Stream stuff that would come later from other modal composers. And dig the lineup on the date, the Wigville Band: Pete Candoli and Conte Candoli (trumpets), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone), Russ Cheever and Charlie Mariano (alto saxes), Bill Holman (tenor sax), Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax), Marty Paich (piano), Max Bennett (bass) and Stan Levey (drums). This formation met only twice: in this recording from 1955 and one year later to accompany the singer Peggy Connelly (Bethlehem Records BCP 53, January, 1956). 

⁂

If someone is interested in what the name of the band owes and what is the meaning of the cover of this very particular album, the answers are given by Marc Myers in the interview he conducted with Russ in 2008  and in the particularities of the slang that it contains:

According to Marc Myers:

Wig or wiggy is slang for "far out" and sort of nutty. Wigville is a faux destination where everyone is wiggy. All of this refers to the far out music Russ recorded on the album. As I recall, they were "tone-rows". 

As for the cover, some art director told an artist that Russ wanted to call the album Wigville. That artist was likely not a "hep cat" and instead of understanding how Russ was using the term figured it was all about wigs people wore on their heads.

As for the original of wiggy, it refers to someone who seems a bit crazy with a odd wig on their head, usually a little askew.

According to Russ Garcia:

The early 1950s It was a good environment because it allowed many of us to do something different and original with arranging. It was an experimental time. I had studied every style of music I could. I took lessons in the Schillinger System, which was mathematical theory for composing. Joseph Schillinger never wrote anything I’d like to hear twice, but I studied it. Then I studied "tone-row" method. I think I was the one of the first arrangers to use tone rows in my 1955 Wigville album.

And what does "tone-rows" mean?: There are 12 notes in an octave. Schoenberg used to put those in a random order and sometimes play them upside down or backward, and he'd build harmonies out of them. But his approach didn't have enough order for me. See, if I can’t sing something I can't write it down after hearing it. And his things are impossible to sing. I also analyzed (Bela) Bartok and other composers. I took tricks from them all and learned to write in every style. That work really paid off. It's probably why I'm still working today.

~A special thanks to Marc Myers~

⁂

The ten tunes presented in this album are Russ Garcia originals. Arranger, leader, composer... Mr. Garcia who is fully versed in all the main systems and schools of music past and present, has attempted to go on from there into a language and style of his own.

The artistry of each of the musicians interpreting these "New Sounds", can only be determinates by listening to them as competent soloists as well as factions in a well integrated group.

Although Mr. Garcia is an academician, as a musician-conductor he display sensitivity, humor, warming and above all, goo taste. Every aspect of this album is designed to satisfy themost discriminating jazz enthusiast. *Jodi Appel (liner notes)*

1 - Rocky Road

2 - Floating

3 - Butter Duck

4 - Mellow Bone

5 - Wigville

6 - Smogville

7 - Livin' It Up

8 - Tone Row

9 - Lovely One

10 - Then The Lid Blew Off

(All compositions by Russ Garcia)

Russ Garcia (conductor); Conte Candoli, Pete Condoli (trumpets); Russ Cheever (soprano sax);  Charlie Mariano (alto sax); Bill Holman (tenor sax); Jimmy Giuffre (baritone sax); Max Bennett (bass); Stan Levey (drums).

Recorded in Hollywood, California, February 4, 1955.

Charlie Mariano & Jerry Dodgion Sextet - Beauties Of 1918

To quote Shelly Manne, "Charlie Mariano is one of the most underrated if not THE most underrated alto man in the country. I hear him every night on my band and his melodic sense never ceases to amaze me. His lines are beautiful and he solos with great continuity".

It is just as surprising to me as it is to Shelly that Mariano's talent is not recognized as widely as that of some of his contemporaries. The reasons for this apparent lack of acclaim seem contradictory. It can’t be lack of exposure because there are no fewer than five long playing and: two extended play Mariano albums under three different labels in my library. He has been a featured jazz player with every band he has appeared with since his Boston days. In addition to his work with Shelly Manne and His Men during the past three years he has recorded extensively with Hollywood studio groups of varying size and orientation. 

Maybe the explanation of the underrating is his being out of fashion with the people who compile national ratings. This oftentimes has nothing to do with the musician’s playing as related to his overall contribution to jazz, but more his adherence to the currently fashionable manner of performing. It seems silly to rate a man by the fashion of the day (although Coleman Hawkins has suffered from it off and on for years) but that’s the way it appears to be. 

Jerry Dodgion is very likely the musician on this record who will be unknown to most people. I have known Jerry since his late teens. He was born in Richmond, California in 1932. He has worked with every big band I have backed in the bay area. I have watched him grow into the most important alto player in San Francisco, He became THE big band lead alto almost before I realized it. Jerry was also the only jazz flute player in town, and it was this talent that took him to Las Vegas early in 1958 to join Red Norvo’s quintet.

How does it happen that a young San Franciscan suddenly arrives in the ranks of the ‘name’ musicians in Los Angeles? Russ Freeman, who produced this record for WORLD-PACIFIC related it to me this way: "The last time we were in San Francisco, we went to blow at some motel on the outskirts of town one afternoon. There were some other musicians there and we took turns playing. Jerry was there. The afternoon wound up with Charlie and Jerry playing the blues with a rhythm section for about twenty minutes. It was one of the most memorable musical experiences I have ever had, and I wasn’t even playing! 

"When I started working for Dick (Bock), I remembered this combination of Charlie and Jerry, told Dick about it, and we decided to do an album. Charlie and I spent a couple of afternoons picking the tunes, we decided on the instrumentation, picked the players, and that was it". 

The ‘it’ is the record inside this liner which was recorded at Radio Recorders during two afternoon sessions. All of the arrangements were written by Charlie, and the title BEAUTIES OF 1918 just about tells the story. 

All of the tunes were popular during the years that America was engaged in fighting the GREAT WAR. 

Of his playing on this record Mariano said, "I hate to say that this is the best I’ve played because a couple of years from now this will probably seem ridiculous to me, since I expect to keep on improving".

In other words, nearly a decade and some five record albums after his first record session, Charlie Mariano is looking ahead to a better way of things.

I sure do like Charlie Mariano. *Pat Henry (liner notes)*

Pianist Russ Freeman, who produced this record, related it this way: The last time we were (with Shelly Mannes quintet) in San Francisco, we went to blow at some motel on the outskirts of town one afternoon. There were some other musicians there; we took turns playing. Jerry (Dodgion) was there. The afternoon wound up with Charlie and Jerry playing the blues with a rhythm section for about twenty minutes. It was one of the most memorable experiences I have ever had, and I wasnt even playing! The co-leaders, both hard saxists in style, reflect their capable mastery of the work of those they admire. Dodgion likes Phil Woods, and Mariano is more closely Parkerish. I hear Charlie every night on my band, said Shelly Manne, and his melodic sense never ceases to amaze me. His lines are beautiful and he solos with great continuity. *Jordi Pujol*

Side 1

1 - After You've Gone

(Creamer, Layton)

2 - When Johnny Comes Marching Home

(L. Lambert)

3 - Deep River

(H. Burleigh)

4 - Till We Meet Again

(Egan, Whiting)

Side 2

5 - K-K-K-Katy

(J. O'Hara)

6 - 'Til The Clouds Roll By

(Kern, Boldton, Wodehouse)

7 - Over There

(George M. Cohan)

8 - Ja Da

(B. Carolton)

9 - Hello, Central, Give Me No Man's Land

(Lewis, Young, Swartz)

Charlie Mariano (alto sax), Jerry Dodgion (alto sax, flute), Victor Feldman (vibes), Jimmy Rowles (piano), Monty Budwig (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California, December 10 and 11, 1957. 

Johnny Richards - Something Else

Something Else was recorded for Bethlehem in Hollywood on August 2 and 3, 1956. What made Richards special as an arranger was his fiery romanticism and percussive moodiness. A highly progressive orchestral writer, Richards thought big. Really big. And he loved his section writing busy, textured and inflamed. He also wanted his soloists soulful and emotionally committed. As you might imagine, a Johnny Richards session was highly challenging from a reading and blowing perspective, even for the best studio musicians with the most hardened chops. Bill Holman said so. So did Al Stewart.

During the August 2 session, "Waltz Anyone?" was the only composition recorded that day. This may have been largely a result of the work itself. There is a sizable amount of instrumental traffic coming and going, and yet it's one of the prettiest and most cohesive jazz orchestral works. But it's a tiger. Or, Richards and the band may have nailed it early and used the remaining studio time to rehearse the other arrangements for the next day's session.

Don't think for a second that the problem may have been with the band: Pete Candoli, Buddy Childers and Maynard Ferguson (tp); Stu Williamson (tp,v-tb); Tommy Pederson, Frank Rosolino and Milt Bernhart (tb); John Cave (fhr); Albert Pollan (tu); Charlie Mariano (as); Richie Kamuca (ts); Ronny Lang (bar,pic); Bill Holman (bassax); Marty Paich (p); Buddy Clark (b); Stan Levey (d); Lou Singer (perc) and Johnny Richards (arr,dir).

The next day, Richards took on more firepower: Shorty Rogers (flhrn) was added (yeah, I know, added), and Don Kelly (b-tb) and Vince DeRosa (fhr) replaced Milt Bernhart and John Cave, respectively. The songs were For All We Know, Aijalon, Dimples, Long Ago and Far Away, Band Aide, Turn About and Burrito Borracho.

Richards composed Waltz Anyone? Dimples, Band Aide, Turn Aboot, Burrito Borracho and Aijalon (Richards's wife Blanca is listed as co-writer on the last track). The rest were standards. Every single track on this album is out of the park. There isn't a single ounce of wheel-spinning, cliché weaving, back-peddling or even the thought of padding or a cop-out chart. It's a perfect album and in my top 5 greatest jazz orchestra recordings of all time. *Marc Myers*

Side 1

1 - Waltz, Anyone?

(Richards)

2 - For All We Know

(Coots, Lewis)

3 - Dimples

(Richards)

4 - Band Aide

(Richards)

Side 2

5 - Turn Aboot

(Richards)

6 - Burrito Borracho (Inebriated Donkey)

(Richards)

7 - Long Ago And Far Away

(Kern, I.Gershwin)

8 - Aijalon

(Richards, Webb)

Johnny Richards (leader, arranger)

Track #1: Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Childers, Pete Candoli (tp), Stu Williamson (tp, v-tb), John Cave (Frh), Frank Rosolino, Tommy Pederson, Milt Bernhart (tb), Charlie Mariano (as), Richie Kamuca (ts), Ronny Lang (bs, piccolo), Bill Holman (bs), Marty Paich (p), Buddy Clark (b), Stan Levey (d), Lou Singer (mallets).

Recorded in Hollywood, August 2, 1956.

Tracks #2 to #8: Maynard Ferguson, Buddy Childers, Pete Candoli (tp), Stu Williamson (tp, v-tb), Shorty Rogers (b-tp), Vince De Rosa (Frh), Frank Rosolino, Tommy Pederson, Don Nelly (tb), Charlie Mariano (as), Richie Kamuca (ts), Ronny Lang (bs, piccolo), Bill Holman (bs), Marty Paich (p), Buddy Clark (b), Stan Levey (d), Lou Singer (mallets).

Recorded in Hollywood, August 3, 1956.