The modern sounds that inspired Leith Stevens

Gene Norman Presents 

Gerry Mulligan and Shorty Rogers

Modern Sounds

After exploring Leith Stevens' gem Jazz Themes From The Wild One in our previous post—and the intrigue surrounding its potential mark on the Lighthouse All-Stars—it's time to take a step back toward the original source of that inspiration. Today's feature is an essential volume in West Coast discography that brings together, in an indispensable "two-in-one", two of the genre's sonic pillars: Shorty Rogers' celebrated Modern Sounds (which inspired Stevens upon Marlon Brando's own recommendation) and a foundational work by the Gerry Mulligan Ten-Tette from 1953. A double reissue whose historical significance is best captured through the lens of specialized criticism and its original liner notes.

In two sporty little band concerts, The Shorty Rogers Giants and The Gerry Mulligan Tentette each ante up a half dozen pieces of Middle-Period Modern to make up this 2-in-1 pack. Like any pair of aces back-to-back Mulligan and Rogers stand to gain from the coupling.

Part of the gain is the chance to introduce followers of either to the other's work; part is the opportunity for side-by-side comparison. Comparison proves that Shorty and Gerry are neither startlingly similar nor sharply opposed.

One of the things they have in common is a certain lightheartedness in their music. Humor in music can be shallow, but neither of these aces could be counted as an out-and-out joker in that sense because their hearts, while light, are warm and whole. That's the long suit for Rogers and heart is a quality of Mulligan's, too. (...)

As to the dates themselves, each seems to have offered its leader a chance to put into play a pet project, and the results, in both cases, altered the look of jazz a little. Both composers chose to employ the oft-neglected middle-sized group: Rogers took eight, Mulligan took ten. But there is a difference in approach that goes beyond the gap of two: prior to these dates Mulligan had been connected with some of the earliest incidences of chamber voicing; Rogers, on the other hand, was identified with more orthodox band music. Here, the roles are reversed: Rogers has the chamber, Mulligan the dance-derivative sound; the octet is a big combo, the Tentette a little band. (...)

Shorty's date, when it was first released, hit like a bombshell. Now that the Forward Look in jazz has become respectable the music is no longer controversial, but simply pleasing and solid. The Tentette was a bit blanketed by the hullabaloo over the then new and startling Mulligan quartet, but the record was always quite popular with musicians, who considered it a sleeper, and reportedly it is a favorite of Mulligan's. Since then, its real worth has steadily become more widely known. The Rogers date is easily locatable in relation to what went before and what followed; it was a step in the journey. The Mulligan date is less datable; it stands alone; there is nothing quite like it. (...)

Although it's common to come upon lists, made out by thoughtful people, of the "Ten Books" or the "Ten Records" they would take to a desert island, perhaps it is false to assume that anyone is ever really confronted with the problem. But if so, this record—highly portable, compact—would seem to have been expressly constructed for a little fudging on the quota, a neat chance to slip in the equivalent of a bonus eleventh.

For the stay-at-home, the bonus—beyond just good listening—is the chance to compare Rogers' and Mulligan's compositions with versions by other bands and by their own smaller groups—like PoPo, the tune that Rogers still uses for a set ending, and many of Mulligan's best-loved songs, like Walking Shoes. (...)

And any jazz-follower can rest assured these sides will remain meaningful, rewarding, and fashionable for some time to come. This big record is full of surprise caches, opening up like a deluxe Boy Scout Knife to reveal more happy gadgets with every handling. Actually, "scout knife" is too skimpy a symbol; Mulligan and Rogers cast together make a handsome two-edged sword that cuts clean either way you swing it. *Will MacFarland (from the liner notes)*

On the heels of Miles Davis' style-defining release Birth of the Cool, Shorty Rogers and Gerry Mulligan chimed in with their own important cool jazz records, placing the music in its future West Coast home in the process. Modern Sounds brings together some of these seminal recordings, including a 1951 set by Rogers and His Giants and a 1953 date by Mulligan and His Tennette. Rogers' outfit includes then future West Coast stars like alto saxophonist Art Pepper, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Giuffre, pianist Hampton Hawes, and drummer Shelley Manne, among others. Each soloist gets plenty of room to stretch out on a set including four Rogers originals; Pepper particularly shines on a fine rendition "Over the Rainbow," while Giuffre deserves special mention for his sparkling original "Four Mothers." Save for Vernon Duke's "Taking a Chance on Love," the second half of this collection includes all Mulligan originals. Similar to Rogers' fine work, these cuts bounce along on airy and subtly complex arrangements. Joining Mulligan are standout soloists like trumpeters Chet Baker and Pete Candoli, alto saxophonist Bud Shank, and drummer Chico Hamilton. Highlights include "Westwood Walk," "A Ballad," and "Rocker" (this last cut having originally been cut as part of the Birth of the Cool sessions). A very enjoyable set taking in the beginnings of West Coast jazz. *Stephen Cook (www.allmusic.com)*

1 - Four Mothers

(Jimmy Giuffre)

2 - Didi

(Shorty Rogers)

3 - Sam And The Lady

(Shorty Rogers)

4 - Popo

(Shorty Rogers)

5 - Over The Rainbow

(Arlen, Harburg)

6 - Apropos

(Shorty Rogers)

7 - Westwood Walk

(Gerry Mulligan)

8 - Simbah

(Gerry Mulligan)

9 - Walking Shoes

(Gerry Mulligan)

10 - Rocker

(Gerry Mulligan)

11 - A Ballad

(Gerry Mulligan)

12 - Taking A Chance On Love

(Duke, Latouche, Fetter)

13 - Flash

(Gerry Mulligan)

14 - Ontet

(Gerry Mulligan)

#1 to #6

Shorty Rogers and His Giants:

Shorty Rogers (trumpet), John Graas (french horn), Gene Englund (tuba),

Art Pepper (alto sax), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax),

Hampton Hawes (piano), Don Bagley (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, October 8, 1951

#7 to #14

Gerry Mulligan and His Ten-Tette:

#7, #9, #10, #11

Chet Baker, Pete Candoli (trumpets); Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone);

John Graas (french horn); Ray Siegel (tuba); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Don Davidson (baritone sax); Gerry Mulligan (baritones sax);

Joe Mondragon (bass); Chico Hamilton (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, January 29, 1953

#8, #12, #13, #14

Chet Baker, Pete Candoli (trumpets); Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone);

John Graas (french horn); Ray Siegel (tuba); Bud Shank (alto sax);

Don Davidson (baritone sax); Gerry Mulligan (baritones sax, piano [#12, #13, #14]);

Joe Mondragon (bass); Larry Bunker (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, January 31, 1953

Five-Star Collection... Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan

Gerry Mulligan And His Ten-Tette

Gerry Mulligan is one of the inventors of the contemporary jazz form, and his early promise experimenting with small forward-looking groups achieves fruition with this extensive exhibit of his art. Gerry is that rare phenomenon — a truly originative talent. Everything he does is unique and he has the unalterable courage to do as he "hears" fit. With it all, there is no restraining self-consciousness. Quite the contrary, Gerry is irresistibly "full of malarkey!" There’s an impishness about both him and his music that lends great charm.

He's a young composer who somehow combines the restless intensity of a serious and sensitive composer with the levity of a leprechaun. And it's all here in the music.

Gerry's early background in the music field is surprisingly orthodox. He even arranged for Tommy Tucker and Elliot Lawrence, but he quickly espoused the modern sounds and "gigged" around New York with the small coterie of musicians that spearheaded the search for new and interesting things to say in jazz. He helped to organize, write for, and play on one of the milestones of modern jazz, the Miles Davis "Move" record date for Capitol.

But here, perhaps for the first time, he has been given carte blanche — freedom to express himself without limitation. (...)

The moods and feelings captured here range all the way from something resembling a German Salvation Army Band playing on a Heidelberg street corner — with a beat — to the reckless abandon of a Deep South Revivalist meeting. But all the way, it's ingenious, challenging, and warm. This is what jazz is coming to. In fact, it's here! *Gene Norman (from the liner notes)*

Gerry's dectet (two trumpets, bone, French horn, alto, two baritones, tuba, bass, drums) eschews atonality, polytonality, polyphony, and pretension, goes in for strictly jazz sounds that begin where Miles Davis' famous Capitol sessions (also partly organized by Mulligan) left off.

The rich diversity of orchestrated tonal hues is what gives this set its fifth star. The solos, though secondary, are almost completely, and justifiably, monopolized by Mulligan and Chet Baker. Gerry switches to piano on three tunes, including the attractive Ontet. Latter is based on the last chorus of Godchild, which he scored for the Davis date.

Of the other originals Walking Shoes has the warmest flavor, a legit blues quality with a semisatirical end; Westwood has Gerry’s most eloquent baritone solo and Flash the most variety, with some great Bud Shank alto, and delightful ensemble accents in the last chorus. Simbah is a simple riff thing with a strangely Gershwin-esque quality in the first release.

If you're already bored by the Mulligan foursome, this set is the perfect restorative.

*Down Beat (Chicago, October 7, 1953 [5 stars])*

Side 1

1 - Rocker

(Gerry Mulligan)

2 - Walking Shoes

(Gerry Mulligan)

3 - Simbah

(Gerry Mulligan)

4 - Ontet

(Gerry Mulligan)

Side 2

5 - Westwood Walk

(Gerry Mulligan)

6 - A Ballad

(Gerry Mulligan)

7 - Taking A Chance On Love

(Vernon Duke, John La Touche, Ted Fetter)

8 - Flash

(Gerry Mulligan)

Gerry Mulligan (baritone sax, piano [#4, #7, #8]); Chet Baker, Pete Candoli (trumpets);

Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone); John Graas (french horn);

Ray Siegel (tuba); Bud Shank (alto sax); Don Davidson (baritone sax); 

Joe Mondragon (bass); Chico Hamilton [#1, #2, #5, #6], Larry Bunker [#3, #4, #7, #8] (drums).

Recorded at Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, California,

January 29 (#1, #2, #5, #6) and January 31 (#3, #4, #7, #8), 1953

Five-Star Collection... John Lewis

John Lewis

Grand Encounter:

2° East – 3° West

Grand Encounter is perfect as the title of this album, featuring as it does three grand and eloquent soloists playing together for the first time.

The combination of John Lewis, Bill Perkins, and Jim Hall is absolutely inspired, as they are three of the most lyrical soloists in jazz. In addition to eloquence and lyricism, they share other attributes and similarities. All three have a sound on their instruments that is personal and immediately recognizable, Lewis with his dry, kittenish attack, Perkins with a tone richer than the richest velvet, and Hall with a sound that is clear and bell-like. They all approach improvisation with a seeming trepidation, perhaps an extension of the genuine modesty they manifest as human beings. The three express themselves instrumentally in a spare, pared-down manner; thus, they seem such reflective and unpretentious soloists, as if they had weighed all the possibilities for this specific solo long before and this is precisely what they want to say about this composition at this particular time, and that to say anything more would be excessive. And, lastly, all three are possessors of a romantic bent that makes their lyricism all the more poignant.

Another attribute they share is sensitivity, for this is principally what makes this recording so pleasurable — because everyone listens so well. There is a group feel and interplay that is absent from many other all-star groups assembled for recording purposes only.

This "grand encounter" took place on February 10, 1956. For a pick-up recording, it is unusual in that it contains several firsts and a near-first. It marks John Lewis' first recording as a leader and his first trio recording (on I Can't Get Started), and Hall's first trio recording (on Skylark); Bill Perkins' first record date as a leader took place the day before.

Don't look for 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West on the map. It denotes the geographic composition of the quintet — two Easterners and three Westerners. (Hall is from New York and Heath from Pennsylvania; Lewis is from New Mexico and Perkins and Hamilton are from California. However, considering that Lewis and Heath were based in New York with the MJQ at the time, it is likely that Lewis regarded himself and Heath as the two Easterners when he titled his original blues.) Today, all are based in New York City except Perkins, who may be seen on television with the Tonight Show orchestra and in jazz clubs with Shorty Rogers’ quintet.

*Todd  Seibert (from the liner notes of the 2016 reissue)*

Simplicity is deceptive. On the one hand it can mean the artist is limited, and at its best this can be folk art of a high order. On the other, it can mean that the artist, having at his disposal the full range of materials, chose simplicity to best serve his needs. And this is conscious art at its creative best, as in this LP.

Simplicity is the keynote to this album. It is simple, direct, and overwhelmingly effective without ever once shouting at you or waving a flag. Not only are all the soloists at their best here, but perhaps they are at their best because of the high degree of empathy which surrounds the date. Few sessions in recent years — some Vanguards and the first Columbia Buck Clayton come to mind — have had the mark of the era of good feeling to the degree this album has. That is one of its charms.

Another is the rhythm section, in which Percy Heath and Chico Hamilton merge together to produce a compelling beat that is felt on every track. Still another is the way the solo horns — Perkins, Jim Hall and Lewis — pick up the phrases, the nuances, the shadings of the compositions, turn them over carefully and examine them, and then replace them in a different setting.

There is really no high spot to this album, because the performances on all tracks are on a plateau of excellence such as to make further comparison superfluous. It might be worthwhile to credit Perkins with some moving Lesterian moments in which he adds his own touch of individuality to a wailing solo on Love Me, or his Easy Living solo all the way which sets the tune running in your mind for days.

Perhaps John Lewis' majestic I Can’t Get Started or his blue-tinted solo on Three Degrees should be stressed, or Jim Hall's romantic mood on Skylark.

It seems enough to say, however, that this is the sort of album you hope for and seldom get. In common with the Mulligan quartet and the MJQ, this album contains the kind of performances you are forced to think of for hours. You can't help yourself. Is there any stronger praise?

The liner notes by Whitney Balliett are five-star, too.

*Ralph J. Gleason (Down Beat, November 14, 1956 [5 stars])*

1 - Love Me Or Leave Me

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

2 - I Can't Get Started

(Ira Gershwin, Vernon Duke)

3 - Easy Living

(Leo Robin, Ralph Rainger)

4 - 2 Degrees East – 3 Degrees West

(John Lewis)

5 - Skylark

(Johnny Mercer, Hoagy Carmichael)

6 - Almost Like Being In Love

(Alan Jay Lerner, Federick Loewe)

John Lewis (piano), Bill Perkins (tenor sax),

Jim Hall (guitar), Percy Heath (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, February 10, 1956

Five-Star Collection... Chico Hamilton

Chico Hamilton Quintet

Featuring Buddy Collette

CHICO HAMILTON: "This is the way the group came about: After we made the trio records (Pacific Jazz PJ-17) I decided to add Buddy Collette to the group. In addition I had planned to use John Graas on French horn, but then John had to leave Los Angeles with the Liberace Show. About the same time I was working with Fred Katz who was then playing piano.

Fred had just said to me, 'Before I hang up my gloves I'd like to play a little jazz on the cello'. I told him about the group I had in mind and mentioned that John was leaving town. Right then and there the idea was born. Later, John suggested Jimmy Hall. I had told John that I needed a guitarist. He said, 'I've got a guitarist rehearsing with me. He's here fresh from Cleveland — he reads good, plays good, and also writes'. So I called Jimmy — now he's in the group. I was very fortunate to get Carson Smith. I actually had to look hard for him. I was told he had been working at the Celebrity Room in Hollywood. Three days later I found that the club had folded right after Carson opened. I finally managed to locate him — now I had a quintet. I called a rehearsal. The guys came over to my place and we just started making with the sounds. We only had two sheets of music then — it wasn’t exactly a rehearsal, but it was a beginning".

FRED KATZ: "I think that we have here, because of the calibre of the guys, something that is unique. That something is content. I think each one writes with feeling. Each

original composition has warmth, has meaning, has a reason for being; it’s not just a series of clever chords or clever ideas".

JIM HALL: "It's a necessity that we now have thorough arrangements, otherwise there’s no reason for the cello. Yet, it's the cello that pulls us together".

BUDDY COLLETTE: "We express ourselves mainly in writing now. Although we do improvise... out of which comes a tune — some idea one of us played — later, somebody brings in an arrangement on it".

CARSON SMITH: "Jazz is an American culture; it started in America. I believe jazz is the only really American cultural achievement. Improvisation is the key word. Out of

this comes composition and arrangement! I think improvisation is the most positive element in jazz. There wouldn't be jazz without it, but we can have jazz without arrangements. Because of the instrumentation of the Quintet, with the addition of the cello, we must depend on arrangements. We find freedom writing. In that direction, there is so far to go, so much to explore".

*(from the liner notes [an interview with the Chico Hamilton Quintet on October 9, 1955])*

Chico Hamilton's new quintet is responsible for one of the most stimulating, consistently inventive and unique jazz recordings of this or any recent year. There is, first of all, superb musicianship on the part of Buddy Collette, flute, clarinet, tenor and alto; Jim Hall, guitar; Fred Katz, cello; Carson Smith, bass, and Hamilton, drums. There is also the fresh writing by all five. As Katz points out in the notes, "...each one writes with feeling. Each original composition has warmth, has meaning, has a reason for being; it's not just a series of clever chords or clever ideas".

The third quality of excellence evident here is the collective emotional empathy of the quintet. This is really a unit, and while each of the men in it expresses his own individuality eloquently, they reach their total fulfillment in the cohesive, partly improvisational interplay that is so vitally basic to the best jazz.

There's a lot more — the excellent beat, the scope of the group, the discovery of Hall and Katz, and the newly impressive impact of Collette and Smith (Hamilton has always been first-rate so long as I can remember). Excellent recorded sound. Second side was cut at the Strollers Club in Long Beach, Calif. Only clinker are the notes on the individual numbers by Fran Kelley, written in her inimitable prose, a cross between science fiction and theosophy. 

*Nat Hentoff (Down Beat, December 14, 1955 [5 stars])*

1 - A Nice Day

(Buddy Collette)

2 - My Funny Valentine

(Rodgers, Hart)

3 - Blue Sands

(Buddy Collette)

4 - The Sage

(Fred Katz)

5 - The Morning After

(Chico Hamilton)

6 - I Want To Be Happy

(Youmans, Caesar)

7 - Spectacular

(Jim Hall)

8 - Free From

(improvisation)

9 - Walking Carson Blues

(traditional, arrangement by Carson Smith)

10 - Buddy Boo

(Buddy Collette)

Buddy Collette (flute, alto sax, tenor sax, clarinet), Fred Katz (cello),

Jim Hall (guitar), Carson Smith (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

#1 to #5: Recorded at Radio Recorders, Los Angeles, California, August 23, 1955 

#6 to #10: Recorded live at The Strollers Club, Long Beach, California, August 4, 1955

Mulligan/Baker Quartet: Modern Jazz Emblem

Gerry Mulligan Quartet

Featuring Chet Baker

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

*Whitney Balliett (from the liner notes)*

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

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

Side 1

1 - Frenesi

(Dominguez, Whitcup)

2 - Nights At The Turntable

(Mulligan)

3 - Lullaby Of The Leaves

(Young, Patkere)

4 - Jeru

(Mulligan)

5 - Cherry

(Gillespie, Daniels)

6 - Swinghouse

(Mulligan)

Side 2

7 - I May Be Wrong

(De Lange, Van Heusen)

8 - Aren't You Glad You're You

(Burke, Van Heusen)

9 - I'm Beginning To See The Light

(Ellington , James, Hodges, George)

10 - The Nearness Of You

(Carmichael, Washington)

11 - Makin' Whoopee

(Kahn, Donaldson)

12 - Tea For Two / Gerry Mulligan Signing Off

(Youmans, Caesar / Mulligan)

#1, #2, #8:

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

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

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

#3:

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

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

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

#4, #6:

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

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

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

#5, #11:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Note: about "Gerry Mulligan Signing Off"

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

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

Buddy Collette And His West Coast Friends

The primary focus of the two albums compiled in this CD set rests on Buddy Collettes talents as a writer and as a multi-reed instrumentalist. Although the sleevenotes didnt say so, Tanganyika was Buddy Collettes album; he is the composer of most of the tunes and is featured throughout. On the second album, Mood For Max, a Max Albrights drummer date, Collette, as a player, is clearly the star of the session, along with trumpeter John Anderson. Both also made considerable contributions as composers and arrangers for the session.

Despite the presence of other great soloists on both dates, among them Jim Hall, Gerald Wiggins, Curtis Counce, Chico Hamilton and William Green, Buddys taste and sensitivity as a player and writer dominates. The writing ranges from the African exoticism that Collette had a penchant for delivering, as well as some Basie-type tunes, standards, and moody and groovy originals. Overall, it is an excellent example of the tight, considered writing that characterizes the best of the West Coast style. *Jordi Pujol*

about Tanganyika:

This set, presented by disc jockey Sleepy Stein but actually led by multireedist Buddy Collette, slightly predates the Chico Hamilton Quintet and hints strongly at that chamber jazz group. Comprised of Collette, drummer Chico Hamilton, trumpeter John Anderson, pianist Gerald Wiggins, guitarist Jimmy Hall and bassist Curtis Counce if one substitutes cellist Fred Katz for Anderson and Wiggins and changes the bassist, the result is the Chico Hamilton Quintet of 1955. The music is mostly group originals (five by Collette) and is an excellent example of cool jazz. *Scott Yanow*

about Mood For Max:

Studio drummer Max Albright's only session as a leader was one of the few releases for the short-lived Motif label. A variety of top L.A.-based musicians (including trumpeter John Anderson, Buddy Collette and William Green on reeds and pianist Gerald Wiggins) are heard from on the octet date. Collette and Anderson split the writing for the six standards evenly and each contributes three originals. This obscure session is melodic, swinging and worth searching for by fans of West Coast jazz. *Scott Yanow*

1 - Jungle Pogo Stick

(Buddy Collette)

2 - Green Dream

(Buddy Collette)

3 - Its You

(Buddy Collette)

4 - A Walk In The Veldt

(Buddy Collette)

5 - How Long Has This Been Going On?

(George Gershwin)

6 - The Blinfold Test

(John Anderson)

7 - Tanganyka

(Buddy Collette)

8 - Wagnervous

(Hamilton, Wiggins)

9 - And So Is Love

(John Anderson)

10 - Coming Back For Me

(Johnny Otis)

11 - Crows Nest

(John Anderson)

12 - Remember

(Irving Berlin)

13 - Sunset Drive

(Buddy Collette)

14 - Some Folks Like The Blues

(John Anderson)

15 - I Hear Bells

(Buddy Collette)

16 - Buzzin Cool

(John Anderson)

17 - One Morning In May

(Carmichael, Parish)

18 - Heat Wave

(Irving Berlin)

19 - Thats All

(Haymes, Brandt)

20 - Youre Devasting Me

(Kern, Harbach)

21 - Top Hat, White Tie And Tails

(Irving Berlin)

22 - Mood For Max

(Buddy Collette)

#1 to #10:

from the album Tanganyika (DIG J-101)

John Anderson (trumpet), Buddy Collette (flute, clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Gerry Wiggings (piano), Jim Hall (guitar), Curtis Counce (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums). 

Recorded at Capitol Studio, Hollywood, California, September 16 and 27 [other source gives October 11], 1956. 

#11 to #22:

from the album Mood For Max (Motif ML-502)

#11 to #18:

John Anderson (trumpet), Dave Wells (bass trumpet, trombone), Buddy Collette (flute, clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Bill Green (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Chuck Gentry (baritone sax), Gerry Wiggings (piano), Curtis Counce (bass), Max Albright (drums, vibes, bells [#15]). 

Recorded at Capitol Studio, Hollywood, California, November 8 and 16, 1956. 

#19 to #22:

John Anderson (trumpet), Dave Wells (bass trumpet, trombone), Buddy Collette (flute, clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Bill Green (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto and tenor sax), Gene Cipriano (oboe, English horn, bass clarinet), Gerry Wiggings (piano), Joe Comfort (bass), Max Albright (drums, vibes). 

Recorded at Capitol Studio, Hollywood, California, November 23, 1956.

•• Blow Hot | Blow Cool ••

Herbie Fields Sextet & The Melrose Avenue Conservatory Chamber Music Society

Blow Hot | Blow Cool

As the title of this album would indicate, you are in for both some hot and some cool moments. The fact that Herbie Fields and his Sextet have been appointed the group representing the hot side and The Melrose Avenue Conservatory Chamber Music Society has been appointed the cool propounders doesn't necessarily end there because for some happy reason Herbie Fields and his Sextet have some very cool moments, indeed, and the boys from Melrose, as you will notice, leap in a very warm manner.

Be Assured that there is not a battle of the bands planned or to be assumed here. This is no hot versus cool sound dual. Rather, it is more like a formula for getting things to just the right taste. This is one of those dates where you know (even if you don't know) that a lot of hard work has gone before...arranging work, scoring, or to make it sound easier, scratching out a chart, writing a few originals, thinking up new ways of saying old familiar things, selecting musicians with compatible ideas and compassion for one another and then hoping fervently that instruments, studios, musicians and their respective chops will all be in the best possible condition for the date.

Whatever came out of this date came through work and persistance and there were some experiments tried that paid off, as you will hear. The serious student of contemporary music, however, will find no revolutionary upset in the musical concept. But, at the same time, he shouldn't expect to get 'knocked out' or to hear a 'new sound' every time he puts the needle to the groove. It's impossible. But the groups here have assimilated some interesting sounds and provided quite a few pleasurable moments.

That can sometimes be more important than the other. *Al "Jazzbo" Collins (liner notes)*

Side 1

1 - No Word Blues

(Herbie Fields, Manny Albam)

2 - The Lady Is A Tramp

(Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)

3 - Baltimore

(Herbie Fields, Manny Albam)

4 - Nutcraker Swing

(Herbie Fields, Manny Albam)

5 - St Louis Blues

(W. C. Handy)

6 - Makin' Whoopie

(Gus Kahn, Walter Donaldson)

Side 2

7 - I'm Forever Counting Geigers

(Marty Paich)

8 - Id

(John Graas)

9 - Skip to My Loot

(Jack Montrose)

10 - Speak Easy

(Jack Montrose)

#1 to #4: 

Herbie Fields (clarinet); Billy Byers, Kai Winding, Eddie Bert, Bart Varsalona (trombones); Joe Black (piano); Rudy Cafaro (guitar); Peter Compo (bass); Harvey Lang [a.k.a. Guy Vivdros] (drums); Mercy Lutes [a.k.a.Marcella Galbraith] (vocal).

Recorded in New York City, September 14, 1954.

#5, #6: 

Herbie Fields (tenor sax); Nick Drago (trumpet); Joe Black (piano); Rudy Cafaro (guitar); Harvey Lang, Jr. (bass); Harvey Lang [a.k.a. Guy Vivdros] (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 1955.

#7, #10:

Stu Williamson (trumpet); Herb Geller [a.k.a. Bert Herbert] (alto sax); Jack Montrose, Buddy Collette (tenor saxes); Bob Gordon (baritone sax); Marty Paich (piano); Curtis Counce (bass); Chico Hamilton [a.k.a. Forest Hamilton] (drums).

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, March 17 (#7, #8) and March 18 (#9, #10), 1955.

Jack Millman And His All-Stars

Trumpet and flugelhorn player Jack Millman was just 17 when he "sat in" with Lionel Hampton and was then invited by Hamp to join the band for a 6-week stint at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles. Just before he was drafted in the Army he joined the Stan Kenton Orchestra for a West Coast Road Tour. When he completed his service he came out to form and manage his own jazz groups throughout the 50's that played the West Coast scene extensively. Presented here is Millman's classic 1955 recordings featuring some of the greatest West Coast jazz players of all time.

A rare session as a leader by trumpeter Jack Millman – one that's based around his own compositions, and which a large group of west coast players alongside some lesser-known 50s talents! Players include Fred Aguirre, Lin Halliday, Artie Anto, Mike Pacheco, Curtis Counce, Herb Geller, Jimmy Giuffre, Howard Roberts, and Don Friedman – playing arrangements of Millman tunes by Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre, Jack Montrose, and Pete Rugolo. Tracks are short, but have wonderfully constructed horn passages – as well as some very nice use of Latin percussion – and titles include "Tom & Jerry", "Bolero De Mendez", "Groove Juice", "Pink Lady", "The Turk", and "Bambi".  *dustygroove.com*

A stimulating presentation of the modern jazz compositions of an outstanding writer, Jack Millman. The wide range of his written work is amply outlined here, and given tremendous interest since each of the 12 compositions included in this album is arranged by different man. Shorty Rogers, Jimmy Giuffre, Jack Montrose and Pete Rugolo are some of the prominent names. The instrumentalists also vary from item to item, but are taken from the ranks of the West Coast's finest musicians. Most of the music is light and listenable, written with a delicate balance of construction and careful selection of instrumentation. The stature of the arrangers and participating musicians will automatically garner good initial sales. *Billboard, November 19, 1955*

Jack Millman

And His All-Stars

1 - Groove Juice

2 - Pink Lady

3 - Too Much

4 - Ballade For Jeannie

5 - The Turk

6 - When You're Near

7 - Tom And Jerry

8 - So Goes My Love

9 - Bolero De Mendez

10 - Just a Pretty Tune

11 - Cathy Goes South

12 - Bambi

(All compositions by Jack Millman)

#1:

Jack Millman (flugelhorn), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone), Herb Geller (alto sax), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Bob Gordon (baritone sax), Claude Williamson (piano), Red Mitchell (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Arrangements by Jimmy Giuffre

Recorded in Los Angeles, June 1, 1955

#2:

Jack Millman (flugelhorn), Buddy Collette (flute), Bob Gordon (bass clarinet), Claude Williamson (piano), Howard Roberts (guitar), Red Mitchell (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Arrangements by Shorty Rogers

Recorded in Los Angeles, June 1, 1955

#3:

Jack Millman (flugelhorn), Lin Halliday (tenor sax), Ray Vázquez (baritone sax), Don Friedman (piano), Ralph Peña (bass), Gary Frommer (drums).

Arrangements by Jack Montrose

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 25, 1955

#4:

Jack Millman (trumpet), Maynard Ferguson (valve trombone), Buddy Collette (alto sax), Jack Montrose (tenor sax), Bob Gordon (baritone sax), Gerald Wiggins (piano), Curtis Counce (bass), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Arrangements by Lyle Murphy

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 18, 1955

 #5:

Jack Millman, Conte Candoli (trumpets); Gerald Wiggins (piano); Frank Flynn (vibes); Curtis Counce (bass); Chico Hamilton (drums); Mike Pacheco, Artie Anton, Fred Aguirre (percussion).

Arrangements by Jack Millman

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 18, 1955

#6:

Jack Millman (flugelhorn), Lin Halliday (tenor sax), Don Anderson (vibes), Don Overberg (guitar), Ralph Peña (bass), Gary Frommer (drums).

Arrangements by Chico Álvarez

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 25, 1955

#7:

Jack Millman (flugelhorn), Lin Halliday (tenor sax), Don Friedman (piano), Don Anderson (vibes), Don Overberg (guitar), Ralph Peña (bass), Gary Frommer (drums).

Arrangements by Gerald Wiggins

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 25, 1955

#8:

Jack Millman (flugelhorn), Ray Vázquez (baritone sax), Don Friedman (piano), Don Anderson (vibes), Ralph Peña (bass), Gary Frommer (drums).

Arrangements by Bill Holman

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 25, 1955

#9:

Jack Millman (flugelhorn); Buddy Collette (flute); Herb Geller (alto sax); Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet); Bob Gordon (baritone sax); Howard Roberts (guitar); Red Mitchell (bass); Shelly Manne (drums); Mike Pacheco, Jack Costanzo, Bob Enevoldsen (percussion).

Arrangements by Pete Rugolo

Recorded in Los Angeles, June 1, 1955

#10:

Jack Millman (trumpet), Bob Enevoldsen (valve trombone), Buddy Collette (flute), Jimmy Giuffre (tenor sax), Bob Gordon (baritone sax), Claude Williamson (piano), Red Norvo (vibes), Red Mitchell (bass), Shelly Manne (drums).

Arrangements by Frank Erickson

Recorded in Los Angeles, June 1, 1955

#11:

Jack Millman (trumpet); Buddy Collette (flute, alto sax); Jack Montrose (tenor sax, clarinet); Bob Gordon (baritone sax); Frank Flynn (vibes); Curtis Counce (bass); Chico Hamilton (drums); Mike Pacheco, Artie Anton, Fred Aguirre, Maynard Ferguson (percussion).

Arrangements by Johnny Mandel

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 18, 1955

#12:

Jack Millman (trumpet), Maynard Ferguson (valve trombone), Buddy Collette (alto sax), Jack Montrose (tenor saxs), Barney Kessel (guitar), Frank Flynn (vibes), Chico Hamilton (drums).

Arrangements by Gene Roland

Recorded in Los Angeles, May 18, 1955

All sessions recorded at Decca Studios and United Western Recorders